Diamonds In The Desert
by The Midnight Man
Summary: An all new story about an unusual case. Sometimes, to do good, even the Rescue Rangers have to take a step onto the other side of justice. And old acquaintances return when they hardly expect it.
1. Preface

Diamonds In The Desert

by The Midnight Man

Preface

The work of the Rescue Rangers is everything but routine. Even after almost 19 years of fighting for justice, there are still cases which are unusual for them. Surely, certain things work differently since the team has got nine members instead of five, and even more so because the four new members still lack the elders' experience in Ranger work somehow, but some cases are so extraordinary that the size of the team as well as their experience hardly matters anymore. So many times did the Rescue Rangers enforce the law since their little crime-fighting team was founded, but it is still something special for them to walk the borderline to illegality like a tightrope in the course of a case.

But the uniqueness of the following case is not limited to this nor to the glamorous location the Rangers will head for. It goes far beyond...

* * *


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Hawaiian In New York

"See, Gadget, why I allowed us a day off?"

On this mild winter morning, Charles Maplewood, known to his friends as Chip, did not exactly live the life of a dedicated crime fighter. Instead, he was having a second breakfast with the love of his life, Gadget Beatrice Hackwrench, at one of their favorite places. The Morning Sun, a little café and restaurant in a hollowed-out stump, had rested well enough in their memories since what had almost become their last date to be their choice again. Chip did indeed feel a little awkward about Gadget calling the owners Uncle Frank and Aunt Suzanne as they were relatives of hers, but he didn't mind too much.

"Golly, Chip, I'm glad that you decided to go on dating me. Although I must say that I've never been on such an early date."

"The time of day doesn't matter, my love." Chip gently caressed Gadget's cheek. "All that matters is that we're together."

Gadget smiled a bit more than she already did and held Chip's hand so she could feel his warmth on her cheek. The events of the past autumn had changed her considerably, but certainly for the better for both Chip and herself. And in a certain way, so had already done her first encounter with the fedora-wearing chipmunk back in 1988. Before those events, she used to lock herself and all her pain and sorrows away in her workshop whenever she could and felt like. The visit of her father's old friend Monterey Jack and becoming a Rescue Ranger saved her from becoming a recluse after the loss of her father, but it also confronted her with Chip. For the first two years, she hardly noticed him and Dale flirting with and fighting over her, as mentally absent as she often was. But after Foxglove had arrived and taken Dale away, Chip started to date her seriously, and she started to fall in love with him. This feeling, however, she couldn't explain in any of the scientific ways known to her, for all she ever knew about love she had learned from television. Yet she soon found out it could and did hurt, so it gave her a second reason for crying through sleepless nights besides the painful loss of her father. Her performance as a Ranger was kept on a constant level by increasing amounts of caffeine, not only for breakfast, but also throughout the whole day, and by working so hard at her workshop that she was too exhausted not to find any sleep. There used to be not few nights after which the other Rangers found her fast asleep at her workbench or on the workshop floor, surrounded by tools and parts of an unfinished invention.

October and November, however, brought significant changes for her. First, the Rangers found out that her father was not only alive, but also back in the city after twenty years of absence and proclaimed death. And together with her father, she and the Rangers reassembled her family by liberating her mother from a laboratory in Maryland and taking Lawhiney, a former opponent of the Rangers who then turned out to be Gadget's twin sister, back to New York City where they helped her start a new life. A month later, Chip and Gadget finally confessed their love for each other on their 500th and almost last date. Since then, Gadget had no reason to cry anymore. Instead, she rediscovered the joy of a family life, one with a real family rather than with the family replacement the Rangers were for her, and she found out how wonderful it was to have someone to love who loved her back. Since then, she enjoyed the best time in her life. For even in her childhood and youth, she had never been loved by so many.

"Besides," Chip continued, "there's surprisingly little crime going on lately. I actually wonder what happened to Fat Cat. We haven't heard of him yet this year."

Gadget joked, "Maybe our new group size scared him away. Either that, or LaWahini." She and Chip both remembered her formerly evil twin sister's aerial attack on the chubby feline when she was captured by him.

"Yes," Chip said, "until that day, I had no idea of how she'd act as one from the 'good side.'" He had no problems with having an almost exact copy of the girl of his dreams in his team. Despite their similar looks, Gadget was still one of a kind. Still, he had to admit, "I wonder what she's doing now, and how she's getting along with her life in this big city."

LaWahini got along pretty well and enjoyed the permanent action and activity of the never-resting metropolis. There was so much to see, so much to experience, so much more than in her little Hawaiian village. Soon after arriving in New York City, she had decided that she would rather be a simple rodent citizen of the Big Apple than the queen of a village full of retarded Hawaiian natives who do hardly anything else than surfin' and hangin' loose all day and together with a boyfriend who probably was the worst of them all, a muscular stereotype of a surfer with little more than enough brains to not fall off the board.

She was hiding in a room of an art gallery near the park and having a look at what was exhibited there. More than usually, this gallery had been turned into a fortress. The reason was the Clutchcoin Collection, a set of 14 different gems which their owner allowed to be shown to the public in an exhibition. They were one garnet, one ruby, one sapphire, one emeralds, four differently colored topazes, one amethyst, one turquoise, and four downright perfect diamonds. All these stones were about the size of a walnut. Roy Clutchcoin, one of New York City's wealthiest citizens by far, had allowed the gallery to host the collection for two weeks, one day for each gem. On that day, the exhibition had just begun, and as the first stone, one of the four diamonds was exhibited in the middle of the room. It lay on a green velvet cushion that was placed on top of a column. Girders around it made sure that no-one got too close to the gem, and in case the girders failed in whatever way, an electronic security system including a number of light barriers was installed and connected to the gallery's alarm system.

Two guards, armed with hardly more than their large spotlights, were providing some additional security. "I've never seen so many visitors here," one of them said. "These gems are bringing the gallery higher ticket sales than ever."

"The harder it is to take care that nobody manages to snatch the stone. I mean, couldn't they at least afford some plexiglass cupola to cover it? I don't trust these girders and these makeshift electronic gimmicks."

"Don't worry too much. There are enough ways of triggering the alarm. And once it's on, our team will make sure that no-one gets into or out of the building. After all, there are still the usual security systems."

"Yes, but you've heard what they said. Any attempt at stealing this diamond will lead to ending the exhibition and removing the stones from the building immediately. Why else do you think they're keeping an armored van in the backyard?"

"Take it easy. I don't believe that anyone would be crazy enough to just rush in here, grab the gem, set off the alarm, and rush out again past the security and the masses of visitors."

Still in her hiding, LaWahini loved how the light from the energy-saving spotlights in the ceiling made the diamond glitter. 'Lawhiney, as these stupid islanders used to call me, would have made plans on how to steal it,' she thought, 'But I left her on the islands, buried under a layer of solid lava. Lawhiney is the past. LaWahini is the present, and LaWahini is a Rescue Ranger. I am a Rescue Ranger. Guess Gadget and Mom are mighty proud of me.'

However, a city that huge had much more to offer, so she didn't stay at the gallery forever, and soon she left. As she came along a side alley in the immediate vicinity of the gallery, she heard some now familiar voices. Sneaking a peek, she spotted Fat Cat and his gang of four.

"But boooooss," Mepps' ever-annoying, whiny voice rang in her ears, "what do you need that diamond for?"

"What do I need a reason to steal it for?" his boss shouted. The noise from the streets made him feel sure not to be heard. "It's rare. It's famous. It's valuable. It's glittering and sparkling. Not to mention that we're talking about a diamond, a symbol of wealth. There, enough reasons?"

"Um... yes, I think..."

"Since when do you think, Mepps? Be careful not to overexert your brain. Now, has everyone comprehended their parts of the plan?" Fat Cat wondered why he even asked. Wart and Snout nodded, Mepps shook his head, and Mole was apparently undecided.

"Yeah, that's why I gave you two the easier parts," he addressed to the other cat and the mole. "Alright, we'll meet here in an hour. Go get the equipment."

Unseen by the crooks, LaWahini was still witnessing their conversation. "How are the odds that you're not talking about the gem in there?" She glanced over her shoulder back to the gallery building. "Great, Fat Cat is gonna pull off a crime against humans, and I can't reach the other Rangers in time. I don't even have a clue where they are now. Seems I have to do everything by myself."

She had an idea. "Wait. I can do it by myself. All the time I spent with my sister and her buddies finally pays off. Now all I need is a way to get back to the Headquarters quickly to buy me some time."

"Do you need a ride to somewhere, young lady?"

LaWahini turned around to see who said that and noticed a pigeon. "Um, sure. Can you get me to the Rescue Rangers Headquarters?"

"Why, I just wanted to offer just that to you! Hop on and enjoy the flight!"

She climbed onto the back of the pigeon who immediately took off. "See," she remarked, "there are many advantages of being a rodent in New York City."

"Oh, now I'm curious. Please tell me."

"First," she started, "unlike human taxis, pigeons never get stuck in traffic jams. They simply fly everywhere. Second, one doesn't have to pay for a pigeon ride. Third, flying doesn't allow them to take a long way, at least not unnoticed."

"And is there a fourth, too?"

"Fourth, from what I've heard from humans, their taxi drivers aren't half as polite as you pigeons."

"Thank you very much, young lady, for your kind words."

"You're welcome." 'Actually,' LaWahini thought, 'I'd have to thank you for your kind words. 'Young lady.' You'd probably never guess how old I really am.'

After only a few minutes, the pigeon touched down on the platform in front of the Headquarters' main door. "Here we are, miss."

"Thanks for the flight," LaWahini said briefly as she got off.

"Shall I wait for you here, do you still need my services?" the pigeon offered.

"No... I think there's no need for you to wait." She remembered that Dale had gone on a stroll with Foxglove and left his hang glider behind, so she would have a means of transportation if necessary.

"Well, all I have to say then is, 'au revoir!'" The overly polite pigeon flew back into the direction where they came from. For a moment, LaWahini wondered why so many pigeons in New York City spoke at least a little French before she went through the door.

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Mouse Mission

"Looks like I need to change my attitude for once." LaWahini headed right for Gadget's room. "Because the only safe way for me to keep Fat Cat from stealing that diamond is stealing it before him." With a swing, she opened her sister's wardrobe. "Of course, I'll bring it back when the danger is over, but for now, it's safer in my hands. Now where has she put—ah, there it is." Among an assortment of lavender overalls plus an orange pair, she found the only black pair. "The overalls which Gadget dyed black for Dad's so-called funeral. It's perfect for my plans. And it's certainly easier to move in overalls than in a sarong." Quickly, LaWahini changed from her usual blue dress into the overalls. "Hope you don't mind me borrowing it, Gadget. Especially since Dad isn't even dead, and the funeral was staged anyway. And now for the rest of the equipment."

Leaving the wardrobe and room doors open, LaWahini ran to the workshop where Gadget kept her equipment. "Ah, there it is." She flipped through what she had memorized from the exhibition room in her mind and picked up the plunger crossbow. "The first invention of Gadget's I learned to use." Taking the suction cup shoes, a golf ball helmet, and a pair of goggles with her, she rushed into Monty's room where she grabbed one of Monty's extra large turtlenecks to wrap the diamond into.

Her last stop was inside the hangar. Both Rangerplane and Rangerwing were there, but LaWahini decided in favor of something smaller and probably easier to handle, and that was Dale's hang glider. She remembered it from the previous year's mission on which she and the rest of the Rangers tried to play matchmakers for Chip and Gadget. She hung the net with the suction cup shoes and the turtleneck inside on the hang glider's handle, strapped the plunger crossbow onto her back, and took the small but famous flying device which her sister had made for Dale so he could fly with Foxglove.

"I promise you I won't damage it, Dale. I'm depending on it, too." These were her last words before she put on the helmet and the goggles and took off. Thanks to the above-average intelligence she had inherited from her mother, it didn't take her long to understand how to handle it. Her way led her over rooftops and through alleys and courtyards, everywhere that she didn't expect any Ranger to see her.

As she crossed the street in front of the gallery, she spotted the five crooks she had met an hour ago. Snout tried to open a back door, carrying a rope slung around his shoulder and using Mepps and Mole as a makeshift ladder. Wart stood nearby with a screwdriver, a human-sized telescopic fishing rod and a rolled-up piece of paper while Fat Cat tried his best to coordinate the operation.

"What do these morons think they're doing there?" LaWahini landed on the gallery's roof and ran to the edge so she could hear them talk. A click and Snout's words, "Hey Fat Cat, it's open!" told her they succeeded.

"Good," Fat Cat said, "do you have the map of the air-conditioning system?"

"Here it isss!" Wart hissed.

"Fine, now you two, Wart and Snout, should be able to find your way to the fuse box without my help. Mepps, Mole, you two guard the operation from outside."

"Fuse box?" LaWahini shouted out. "They're stealing my idea! Time to act!"

She entered the air-conditioning unit on the roof, but stayed away from the air canals. She knew that she couldn't afford encountering Fat Cat's gang in there all alone. Instead, she used her advantage of being a mouse and climbed down a cable duct. "I still remember my sister's words. Every wire in a house leads to the fusebox. Now let's see who gets there first."

It was clear who got there first when she arrived inside the fusebox after removing some covers from unused fuse slots. The hatch of the box was still shut, so Wart and Snout hadn't made it yet. She couldn't help but giggle. "Hope you enjoy the hot air and the hot steel. So, unless I'm wrong, this should be the same fusebox I discovered in the room with the diamond."

She carefully pushed the hatch open and saw that she was right. The diamond was still there. And so was the dark marble covering the walls and the ceiling. "This is almost too easy," she commented.

However, a closer look at the fuses revealed that it wasn't all easy. "Can't they label these things properly? Now I have to shut down half the building or so! Oh well..."

The noises of animals creeping through the air duct right above her came to her sensitive ears before any human could hear them. She grinned while she memorized the windowless room's exact layout. "Okay, showtime!"

Within a few seconds, she flipped the switches on all the fuses. Then she put on the suction cup shoes and walked up the wall—diagonally to avoid Fat Cat's goons who tumbled out of the air duct into the almost dark room, unable to see where to step. According to their plan, they should have used the modified fishing rod to get the gem while staying inside the air duct, but the sudden darkness had irritated them enough to go a few steps too far. The humans were too busy panicking or keeping themselves from panicking to take notice of them.

"What happened?" Snout asked. "Why is it so dark in here?"

"Dunno," Wart replied, "it'sss too dark to sssee what happened."

"We'd better stay close to the walls. These humans can't see where they step, and they probably don't care either."

LaWahini was in a far better situation. She had made it to the middle of the room, right above the diamond. The only light illuminating the scene was emitted by the light barriers and the controls of the security systems on one wall, both of which were fed separately from the rest of the building.

"So the security is still up and running, huh?" LaWahini remarked. "Well, that should even out the lack of a glass orb covering the gem. They're putting a lot of confidence in these systems, it seems. Not that it were in any way important for me." She took the plunger crossbow from her back and aimed at the diamond which was only visible by the control lights it refracted, and even then only when no human happened to stand in their way.

Despite these difficulties, the first shot hit immediately. "Bullseye," she said and began to wind up the cord on the plunger. The diamond's weight being released from the cushion set off the alarm. One thing LaWahini had not added to her plan was the possibility of a pressure sensor under or inside the cushion. Red strobes were flashing in various corners of the room.

"Stupid alarm! Oh well, at least I've got a bit more light now," LaWahini found an advantage in the alarm as she headed for the fuse box. "But that noise is more than annoying." She didn't mind much, though, as it was time for her to leave anyway.

She had made it across the ceiling and climbed down the wall almost to the box when a white light below her almost blinded her. After a moment of adjusting, she identified the source of that light. One of the two guards had made it to the fuse box and illuminated it with his spotlight.

"Hey, come here and have a look at this!" he called his mate.

"What's up?"

"For some reason, all the fuses in here are turned off. Whoever did this must have something to do with the alarm."

'You don't know how right you are,' LaWahini thought by herself. 'I'd better get lost before the lights go on.'

While the guard with the spotlight began to switch on the fuses one by one, trying not to overload the building's wiring, his companion went to see if the diamond was still there, and Wart and Snout stayed in their hiding and waited for a chance to escape, LaWahini took the only remaining safe way out—the air-conditioning. Once she was inside the canal, she took off the suction cup shoes to make less noise and to be able to run faster.

"The alarms in the entire building must have been set off," she figured, "and I can't afford leaving through any other room. Besides, Mepps and Mole may guard the canals, or at least their buddies' entrance. No, I've gotta find a way to the machinery on the roof."

Finding that way was fairly easy in winter. She just had to run where the heat came from. And she did have to run most of the time, the metal below her feet got hotter and hotter, too. As it suddenly went upwards, she put on the suction cup shoes again, the first one while hopping on the other foot, the second one hoping that the heat won't melt them.

Driven by the hot air surrounding her and by the thought of being pursued, even though nobody may have noticed that a mouse had stolen the gem, she raced up the air duct. "Must... make it... past the heaters..." There was no chance for her to leave the canal before them. The only maintenance hatch she came past was held in position by a too strong lock, so she had to head on against the burning gale coming from the air-conditioning which had hardly cooled down during the blackout, having nothing but her feet in the suction cup shoes to cling to the galvanized steel walls around her.

Within a minute which seemed like half an hour for her, she reached the machinery. "Whew," she said and exhaled in relief as she examined what she saw in front of her, "they mounted the heating elements after the ventilators." It got much chillier around her as soon as she made it past the heaters on both sides of the canal with their red hot wires. Again, the basic mechanical knowledge she got from her sister that winter proved useful when she found out that the ventilator unit could be removed for maintenance purposes, but detaching it was only possible from outside.

She sighed. "If only Sparky was here... He could stop the ventilators." For a moment, she wasted a few thoughts on the laboratory rat who had joined the Rangers on the same day as her. "No," she motivated herself then, "I must get this done by myself. And I can do it."

She clung to the frame below one of the ventilators, took off the suction cup shoes, held them with her hands, and studied the motion of the large fans. Finally, the right moment came. She hurled herself and all her payload upwards, passed through between two blades, and landed on one of them, held in place by the suction cups in only one hand. After pulling herself forward and slipping her feet into the suction cup shoes again, she began to slam the wrapped diamond against the rusty wire girders above her which finally gave in and broke. She held the gem in the pullover with her teeth, gripped the wires as she came past the position where they were broken again, and with two plopping noises pulled herself and the suction cup shoes off the fan blade. All she had to do was climb out now. Nobody would ever suspect the thief having left the building through a tiny hole in a ventilator grid, at least no human would.

The fresh air helped her overcome the dizziness. She didn't know for how many rounds she had ridden on the fan, but it felt like thousands. As soon as she had regained her senses, she took the hang glider that was still parked nearby to the edge of the roof, and, holding the gem between her feet, jumped down. The winds caught her, and she glided back to the Headquarters, albeit on a different, even better hidden route than the one she came on.

However, as well as the route was hidden, her escape from the building stayed as little unnoticed as her payload. Among the rodent witnesses of her flight were two squirrels in dark green shirts and black pants.

"Do you think she's got anything to do with the alarm?"

"Do you have any doubt?"

"Well, I can't believe that she is who she seems to be."

"You mean..."

"Either way, it's the MSS's duty to investigate. No matter who she is and what she and her friends have done for the city until now. C'mon."

Meanwhile, the lights were on again in the exhibition room. They shone on the diamond display and revealed the lack of the diamond.

"The diamond's gone!" the second guard shouted over to the first one who had reactivated the electricity and was now dealing with the security systems.

"Yes, I began to suspect just that," the latter replied. "But what's even stranger is that the girders are still in position, and the light barriers haven't been triggered either. As if someone has stolen it from above."

The walkie-talkie on his belt started crackling, and a voice came from it. "What's up up there?"

"You won't like it if I told you, sir."

"Tell me anyway, it doesn't matter if I like it or not."

"The diamond's stolen, sir. And the thief didn't leave the slightest trace."

"What'd you say? It sounded as if you were telling me the diamond's stolen."

"You understood correctly, sir, it is stolen!"

"It's... oh no!" The voice on the walkie-talkie sounded like being directed away from its counterpart then. "Alert! Get the other gems outta here! We had a theft!" The speaker turned back to the microphone. "Are the police on their way?"

"I'm sure they are," the guard answered. "They're alarmed automatically."

Activity awoke in the backyard. Guarded by men in uniforms, another man carried a black box to an armed van and placed it in its cargo room. Unnoticed by him and the guards, however, three rats made it into the vehicle, too, and hid behind the box until the rear doors were shut and locked.

The man who had carried the box took his place behind the van's steering wheel while one of the guards sat down on the passenger seat. They were about to leave the backyard when a police car suddenly blocked the only exit. Two officers got out. "Stop!" he ordered. "Nobody leaves the crime scene!"

Inside the building, Sergeant Spinelli was busy investigating and questioning the witnesses, accompanied by Officers Kirby and Muldoon, and for the umpteenth time in his career with the title "Lieutenant Spinelli" ringing in his head. Time was running, he had only four years left until his retirement. "So," he asked one of the two guards in the exhibition room, "you're trying to make us believe that the stone vanished into thin air?"

"Well," the guard answered, "as we already said, whoever got in here and back outside with the gem left no traces at all. They must've come from above, from the ceiling or by flying or whatever way. I know how absurd it sounds, but that was about the only possible way to get the diamond past both the girders and the light barriers."

Officer Kirby who had examined the room confirmed, "He's right, there's no evidence of a burglary at all. And the alarm was indeed triggered by the sensors in the cushion."

Spinelli sighed loudly. "Why is it always me who gets these wicked cases?"

* * *


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Busted Rangers

The Metropolitan Squirrel Squad, often abbreviated MSS or referred to as the Mets, worked fast and efficiently. The two squirrels who had watched LaWahini with what was roughly as big as the diamond which they found out was stolen reported their sight at their Headquarters. Their description, a female mouse with long blond hair, wearing coveralls, and using some contraption to fly through the air, described a certain Rescue Ranger perfectly. Although there were still strong doubts, the MSS had to take into consideration that the Rangers had changed sides, no matter for what reasons. The idea of capturing them in their Headquarters was largely feared, the MSS knew a lot of the Rangers' earlier cases, thus they had records about their equipment, and being an unarmed force, they wouldn't have fair chances against Gadget's many inventions. But reports of Squad members who had seen the Rangers at various locations in the city fortunately rendered this plan obsolete, and groups of squirrels were sent to the aforementioned locations.

Far enough away from the gallery to be oblivious of the recent events, Chip and Gadget were strolling through the park. The mouse mechanic let her view wander around. "I wish spring came so it got a bit greener. The park's not beautiful as it is."

"Who needs a beautiful park?" Chip laid his arm around her. "I've got beautiful you."

"Aw, Chip," Gadget said as they stopped and she came to stand in front of him, moving her hands up the collar of his jacket. Their kiss was rudely aborted in its preparation phase, though.

"Chip Maplewood? Gadget Hackwrench?" someone asked.

Chip pried his look away from Gadget's half-closed eyes which snapped fully open, too. They saw four squirrels in green and black surrounding them.

"Why, sure, that's us! Nice to meet our fellows from the MSS," Chip greeted the squirrels.

"You can't fool us, Maplewood. You're under arrest."

"Arrest?" Gadget wondered. "Why? We're the Rescue Rangers, what should we be accused of?"

"I'm surprised that this question comes from you, Hackwrench," the leader of the group said while two other squirrels were locking rodent-sized handcuffs around Chip's and Gadget's wrists. "All that surprises me is how you got here that quickly."

"Well, Chip and I took the Rangerwing which is parked over there and—"

"Shhh, Gadget," Chip told her, "don't make them believe even more in, um... what was it that we're accused of?"

"Heard of the diamond exhibition?"

"Sure, but that's far away from here."

"It was. The diamond was stolen half an hour ago. And your friend here has been seen flying away from there immediately after the crime took place, carrying something that resembled the stolen item. Now follow us to the MSS Headquarters."

Without further questions and awaiting their fate, Chip and Gadget obeyed the squirrel's order and followed. "There we go, Gadget," Chip commented, "tied up in handcuffs you invented years ago..."

Elsewhere in the park, on a branch up in a tree, Dale was catching up a bit on the sleep he had lost on the previous evening's late late night C-movie double feature. And he was doing so wrapped up in a pair of bat wings. Foxglove took the chance and snuggled up to him as if he was her personal life-sized Dale plushie. Every once in a while, her eyelids grew heavy, too, and a little nap got hold of her.

As she opened up her eyes again after one nap, she found a group of squirrels in green and black standing on the branch or clinging to the trunk. "Miss, wake up the chipmunk," one of them commanded.

"Shhh!" Foxglove said. "He needs some sleep."

The tone of the squirrel got much harsher. "Wake him up and take your wings off of him, or we're gonna do that!"

"Your manners leave a lot to be desired." Foxglove gently shook Dale. "Dale, cutie, wake up!"

The chipmunk pried his eyelids open. "Mmmmhuh? 'sup, Foxy?"

"I believe we're in trouble."

"You aren't, Miss," the squirrel explained. "He is."

"And why, if I may ask?"

"He's a Rescue Ranger. And the Rescue Rangers are suspected to have reformed into a criminal organization. Therefore we're here to arrest him."

"And the other Rangers? My friends?" Dale asked.

"They're being arrested now, too. Now let go of him, lady."

"Do you really have to take my Dale with you?" Foxglove asked.

"Yes. You can go wherever you want, but Mr. Oakmont is coming with us."

Foxglove removed her wings. "Alright, if it's your duty, arrest him. But I'm coming with you, too. Nobody takes my Dale away from me."

Another group of squirrels had been sent to the docks. They had a much harder task, and that was arresting Monterey Jack. A cheese ship from France had arrived that night and been unloaded, and the burly Australian adventurer mouse had of course been seen around the docks, too. Finding him was supposed to be easy, most probably, he would be in the warehouse where the cheese was stored. But even for the dozen squirrels out to get him, it would be difficult to take him down. To make it at least a bit easier, two squirrels carried a bottle which was small for humans but as tall as a squirrel. This bottle was filled with a strong sedative.

As they arrived at the door to the warehouse, they could already hear Monty crack open crates of almost any size and dig through masses of cheese. "We've only got a chance," the leader of the unit said, "when he's busy eating. Get the sedative ready." He pulled a rag out of his shirt.

Monty relaxed on a half-eaten cheese wheel and prepared for eating the other half. Zipper stood right next to him. "Zipper, I've said it so many times, an' I say it again. There's only one thing I like more than cheese. An' that's doin' nothin'. 'specially after 'avin' 'ad me share o' good French cheese."

He was fully unaware of the squirrels hiding behind a crate near him. The squirrel leader whispered, the sedative-soaked rag in his hand, "I hope he'll do just that now."

The very moment that he saw Monty stretch himself, he gave the sign to attack.

Monty hardly realized what happened when about a dozen squirrels pounced upon him. Each of his arms was pressed down by three of them, each leg by another two, and the eleventh pressed a wet, weird-smelling rag into his face. He could barely hear Zipper try to fly away before he passed out.

When he woke up again, he noticed a few things. His head was buzzing. What he was lying on neither felt nor smelled like cheese. And his surroundings had changed, too. Somehow, the walls and the ceiling were closer than before. "Blimey," he spoke, "either that cheese made me grow or the ware'ouse 'as shrunk." He took a glance around. "Wait. This doesn't look like a ware'ouse. Where am I, an' what's goin' on 'ere? Zipper me pally, are ya there?"

"Monty, you're finally awake!" he heard a familiar voice say.

"Strike me starkers, Zipper! I didn't know ya can imitate Chipper's voice!"

"Monty, it's me, Chip!"

The Aussie mouse heaved himself up and took another look around, this time, however, he had regained his senses enough to recognize that he was not wherever he thought he was. He rather found himself in what he was able to identify as a room carved out of a tree, much like the Rescue Rangers Headquarters. But it wasn't the Rescue Rangers Headquarters, for the Rangers did not have such uncomfortable furniture cut out of Styrofoam. The Rangers themselves were there, too, at least the original four Rangers besides him plus Foxglove. The room lacked windows, the only light came from a number of bright white LED lamps mounted into the ceiling. The only door was guarded by four squirrels wearing green shirts and black pants. Some more of these squirrels were sitting with the Rangers.

"Chipper, what's goin' on 'ere? What are ya doin' 'ere, an' above all, what am I doin' 'ere?"

"They didn't tell you?" Chip asked. "What happened to you then?"

"Well, as I told ya before I went, I was at the docks where that cheese ship 'ad jes' unloaded its delicious cargo. An' delicious it was. So I was lyin' on a cheese when these blighters attacked me. They were too quick an' too many even fer ol' Monterey Jack. I could swear I've seen them before, but before I could remember where, I got that knock-out rag pressed inta me face, an' everything went black. An' 'ere I am now."

"Welcome to the Metropolitan Squirrel Squad Headquarters, then," Chip said. "We were arrested by them."

Monty took off his aviator cap and scratched his head. "Wait, ya wanna make me believe the Mets arrested their do-gooder fellas, the Rescue Rangers?"

"Yes, Chip," Dale wondered, "ain't we their friends anymore?"

Chip explained, "As far as they told me, they believe that Gadget has stolen a diamond from a gallery."

"Correction," a voice said, "we are most certain that she has stolen that diamond."

The Rangers turned around and saw a squirrel with rather gray than brown fur and tidy gray hair enter the room. He was well-known to them, better than anyone else from the MSS, because he happened to be a close relative to one of the new Rangers, her father, to be more precise. And the Rangers were quite uneasy about meeting him under these circumstances.

"Chief Derek Chesnutt, good morning!" Chip greeted the squirrel and tried to keep himself under control the best he could despite the situation.

"Good morning, Mr. Maplewood." Chief Chesnutt sat down on the couch on which Monty had been lying and was sitting now. "Well, well, well. Looks like the Rangers have gotten themselves into deep trouble."

Gadget tried to defend herself. "Chief Chesnutt, I swear I haven't stolen that gem! I've been with Chip all morning, so he's my witness!"

"Sorry to tell you that, Miss Hackwrench, but we've got more witnesses stating they've seen you with what looked to them like the wrapped-up gem. And the direction you were flying in was away from the gallery where it was stolen. Besides, we can't trust a witness from the same team as you." The sigh he let hear seemed almost out of character for him. "It's such a pity what became of you. You used to be role models for my daughter Tammy, and now that she's one of you, you changed your ways..."

"We haven't changed ways, for Heaven's sake!" Chip almost began to burst out. "Not only was Gadget with me all the time, we also were in an entirely different part of the city! Allow me to answer one question, please."

The Chief was curious. "And that is?"

"What kind of device was it that your witnesses have seen that shall have helped Gadget fly?"

"According to the witnesses, it was a hang glider."

"See? We had the Rangerwing with us. Why do you think she should've taken the hang glider with her?"

"Why, for that burglary, of course. I know you can fold and unfold it. Tammy told me."

"Alright. You say some witnesses..."

"Including two Metropolitan Squirrel Squad members, as I may add," Chesnutt interrupted Chip's words.

"Anyway, they've seen a mouse that looked like Gadget with a hang glider that looked like Dale's and some object that remotely looked like the gem."

"Exactly."

"And you claim that's evidence enough to say it was Gadget?"

"Again, exactly. Or how good do you think the chances are that there's another mouse around who looks like Miss Hackwrench?"

Synchronously, the five Rescue Rangers came to the same solution. "LaWahini," they said in unison. "Gadget's twin sister," Chip added an explanation. "She's been living in New York City since Gadget and her parents brought her over from Hawaii last year. She and Gadget look almost the same."

Gadget's beautiful face frowned. "And I thought she'd be reverted to good now. I thought I could make a Rescue Ranger out of her. LaWahini, you've disappointed me. And you've certainly disappointed Mom and Dad." She turned to the elder squirrel again. "Chief Chesnutt... send your troops out and get her. If my calculations are correct, she's at our Headquarters now, because that's where she must have gotten her equipment."

"I hope you're right," Chief Chesnutt said. "I hope it for you all."

Upon his order, a group of eight squirrels left the tree and headed for another one.

In that other tree, LaWahini relaxed on the couch. She had put the borrowed pieces of equipment back in their places and changed into her trademark flower-printed sarong again. "Yes, this should make the other Rangers proud of me. I prevented one of Fat Cat's crimes all alone. Of course I'll bring the gem back once the danger's over. But until then, I think it's quite safe hidden in my room." Hidden wasn't exactly the best term to describe the diamond's current situation. LaWahini had been unable to close the door of her wardrobe since it was in there.

She got up to turn on the TV and see if there's some media coverage of the burglary. "They'll probably never find out that a mouse has taken the diamond. But I'd better be certain."

She was just about to push the on/off switch when a knock came from the door. "Great, right when I wanna watch some TV and no-one else is here." The fact that whoever it was didn't just come in told her that they were no Rescue Rangers, so she went and opened the door.

Before her stood four squirrels, all of them wearing green shirts and black pants. "Miss Hackwrench?" one of them asked.

"My sister Gadget's not there, sorry," LaWahini replied briefly.

"We know. She sent us to get you. Miss LaWahini Hackwrench, you're under arrest."

Visibly even for the squirrels, LaWahini's fur stood up. She didn't know whom she had to deal with, but she did understand that they were fast and efficient, and that at least some of the Rangers had somehow found out about her little heist.

"I guess you can't help it then..."

"No. Will you now please come with us? And get the diamond if possible?"

"Sure... yeah... Wait a minute, I'll just... get the diamond..." There was no lying. The squirrels even knew about the gem. LaWahini moved away from the door.

As soon as she reached a hallway in which the squirrels couldn't see her anymore, she began to run. Her knowledge about rodent life in New York City didn't go as far as knowing the Metropolitan Squirrel Squad, so she didn't trust these strangers, even though they seemed to be in some kind of contact to Gadget. She quickly got the diamond out of her room and went on running until she reached the hangar. "Ha! Even flying squirrels won't be able to get me once I'm in the air."

With Dale's hang glider ready for take-off and the diamond attached to it, LaWahini opened the post box lid that served as the hangar door—only to see another four squirrels step back and then forth again onto the open lid so she couldn't shut it.

"Well, Miss LaWahini Hackwrench," another squirrel said, "as you can see, there's no chance for you to escape."

"Okay," LaWahini shouted, borderline panicking. "Who are you, and why are you here?!"

"We are the Metropolitan Squirrel Squad. We've got evidence that you've stolen a certain diamond, we have witnesses as well, but as we didn't know about your existence, we arrested your sister Gadget first. Gadget then told us about you. Is this the diamond?" The squirrel pointed to the bundle under the hang glider.

"Where's my sister?"

"She's at our Headquarters, together with the other Rescue Rangers. And either of you must have committed the theft."

LaWahini took a deep breath and thought for a few seconds. These squirrels sounded like crime-fighters, much like the Rescue Rangers, but wearing a sort of uniform. Whatever they were, though, they had Gadget. And LaWahini figured that falsely putting the blame on her own sister for something she herself did in a good sense but then turned bad was not Rescue Ranger-like.

"So?"

The blond mouse sighed before she turned herself in. "You got me. Take the diamond, but make sure it's not returning to the gallery too soon."

* * *


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Deals

The driver of the armored van was relieved when he saw Kirby and Muldoon remove their police car and finally allowed him to drive off the yard and get the remaining diamonds away. He started the engine and set the vehicle in motion, unaware of his three rodent passengers.

"Are we rolling, Francis?" one of the rats wondered.

"No, stupid, that's an earthquake," Francis answered. "Of course we're rolling!" 'Why can't stereotypical dumb henchmen be nothing more than a cliché?' "You two know what to do, Louie and Moe?"

"Err... no."

"Alright, once more. You open the hatch," Francis pointed to a manhole in the bottom of the cargo compartment, "and I take a look where we are. When I give you the sign, you push the black box through the hole down onto the street, and then we get off the car."

Slowly, the armored van squeezed itself through the dense Manhattan traffic. Much faster, Francis climbed up one of the rear doors to the window and watched the surroundings pass by while his two henchmen unlocked and opened the hatch. "Okay, it's open," Moe shouted as this was accomplished.

"Now get the cargo in position. We'll soon be there."

"Huh?"

"Push the box with the gems to the hole in the floor!" Francis turned back to his view of the street. 'Why can't at least one of them have at least a bit of intelligence? Maybe I should hire a lizard like my brother Rupert did.' To be sure that his gang did the right thing, he changed his mind and watched them push the box—only to leap off the door and run in front of the container seconds later to push against it. Half a second later, and he and the box would have found themselves on the street.

"To the hole, you dimwits, not through the hole! Stop pushing!"

"But didn't you say..."

"I said to the hole. Not through the hole, not into the hole. Got it now?"

"Um..."

"Just don't push it any further unless I say so. Got this at least?"

The two rats nodded.

"Good. I go on watching out."

A few streets further, the van stopped once more. Unnoticed by the humans, three rats suddenly came from below it, two of them carrying a black box, crossed the street and the sidewalk and disappeared through a hole in a wooden wall covering a free space where a building had been demolished some weeks ago. Another rat hid behind a public trash can and watched them from a distance. This rat wore a brown suit, a brown coat, and a plaid cap, but otherwise, he looked like the only one of the three rats who didn't help carry the box.

"Lo and behold, if that's not my big brother Francis. I expected you to come and pull this thing off. I only wanted to be sure. Now I am, you little crook. Makes me wonder why I'm the only one in our family who's honest."

After a few minutes, the three rats slipped through the hole again. Francis was fuming. "One is missing? One is missing?! How should we have known that someone is actually able to steal that thing and get it outta the building without being seen, let alone caught? I supposed they just tried to snag it and triggered the alarm or so!"

"We could've taken a look into the box," Louie proposed.

"Shut up!" Francis didn't want to admit that his goon was right. "That wouldn't have brought the gem back," he said as he and his gang walked past the place where his brother hid. "And now we shall bring it back. Heck, all we know is that it's not there. It could be anywhere by now."

"Didn't the human say that no human would've been able to steal it?" Moe recalled.

"He said that, yes. And that he believes that only a spider could've taken it." He stopped. "Or a rodent with the right equipment. I believe we should take a closer look at our local animal underground."

"Do you think your brother's behind this?"

"No, Louie, not really. Lizard's not nimble enough, Mousenegger even less, and an army of mouse slaves... nah, can't imagine how he'd pull that off with complete rookies and without being noticed. But there's one gangster in this city... one who would—and could—go such a long way, take such an effort, just to obtain a glittering diamond he'd then simply show off."

"You mean..."

"Yes. Let's pay the old Happy Tom plant a visit."

The three rats went on along their way, unaware of being watched by Francis' little brother who still hid behind the trash can. "So they need to find one of the diamonds? That buys me some time to get the help I need."

He made sure his brother and his gang wouldn't see him if they happened to turn around. Then he left his hiding and headed for Central Park.

In the meantime, the number of Rescue Rangers at the Metropolitan Squirrel Squad Headquarters increased. LaWahini was led into the room in which the five original Rangers and Foxglove were waiting for whatever was going to happen to them.

Although she had anticipated her arrival, Gadget was far less than pleased to see her sister. "Whom do we have here? I thought you swore you'd be good."

"What I did," LaWahini said as an apology, "I did in good intentions."

"How can someone steal a diamond in good intentions?" Chip was unable to comprehend.

"Because if I hadn't stolen it," LaWahini explained, "Fat Cat would. That is, two of his goons, to be more precise."

"Fat Cat?"

"I heard him talk with his gang about this theft before. And I saw some of them enter the building before I went inside."

"Why should we believe you?" Chip asked in mistrust.

"First, what should a mouse like me need a diamond as big as a walnut for? I could hardly hide it."

"Right," Gadget confirmed, "that's a point. This diamond is way too large to be used as a part of a glass cutter. And it's not appropriately shaped either."

"Second," LaWahini continued, "for what reason should I turn bad again? Have you noticed any hints that told you I'm not happy with my new life?"

Gadget shook her head.

"But if Fat Cat was after it, too," Dale expressed his remaining doubts, "what would he need it for?"

"Ol' tabby needs no practical use fer a gem," Monty explained. "If it's shiny, expensive, an' if 'e can show it off at 'is place an' elsewhere, it's a must-'ave fer 'im. Remember our first case?"

Chip did remember. "The Clutchcoin Ruby, right... For Klordane and Nimnul, it was the most important part of an oversized ice slicer. But for Fat Cat, it was shiny jewelry. Bling-bling, as they say nowadays. Chief Chesnutt, if we promise to bring it back to its owner, will you let us go?"

"I'm afraid I don't have any other choice," Chief Derek Chesnutt said. "Who else than you can do that? The MSS has no experience in such operations, let alone the appropriate equipment, both of which the Rescue Rangers have."

"So we're free?" Dale could hardly await his liberation and jumped up.

"That you are," Chief Chesnutt declared. "But remember that you're on a case now, and we expect you to solve it."

Chip was the next to get up. "Alright, then Gadget and I will go and collect the Rangerwing, and we'll all fly home, plan how to bring the diamond back, and gather the necessary equipment."

"Oh, there's something more," Chief Chesnutt added. "We'd like to know about your plans as soon as they're completed. You don't want to be arrested once more, do you?"

An animal hideout entirely different from the MSS Headquarters, built into a giant cat figure on top of an old factory building, saw a couple of visitors, and these visitors came earlier than usual. As Francis, Louie and Moe entered the place which hosted a casino among other facilities, they encountered another rat and a lizard who were busy cleaning the saloon.

"Hey," Wart shouted, "the casssino isss clozzzed!"

"Yeah," Snout said, "come back later if you wanna gamble! Or can't you wait?"

"We're not here for gambling," Francis answered. "We're here only to receive our prize. Immediately. Is your boss in?"

"Fat Cat? Sure here's in, but you can't..." Snout spoke no more when he noticed that the three rats had disappeared into the alleyway which led to Fat Cat's office.

The feline gangster boss sat in his chair, the backrest turned towards the door, and pondered the inability of his goons when he heard the door open. "Can't you knock?"

When he moved himself around to see who dared disturb him, he saw three rats in hats and trench coats. "Aw, c'mon, this is ridiculous," he commented the sight. "Who are you that you've got to re-enact the 40s?"

"My name is Francis," the rat in the middle replied.

"Francis? Francis what?"

"Just simply Francis. And these are Louie and Moe."

"And why are you and your... friends stealing my precious time, 'Francis?'"

Instead of answering Fat Cat's question, Francis asked briefly but firmly, "Where's my diamond?"

"Your diamond? Excuse me, but what are you talking about?"

"The diamond from the Clutchcoin Collection that was displayed at the gallery not far from here until recently."

Fat Cat took scolding his goons for allowing witnesses into consideration. "And, just out of curiosity, what do you think makes it 'your' diamond?" He figured he didn't have to lie about the gem.

"Why should I tell you?"

"I'm a cat. You're a rat." Fat Cat stood up in front of Francis, being more than twice as tall as him, and lifted him up by his tail. "Reason enough?"

"R-reason enough, without a doubt. Okay, we've got the other 13 gems, the entire collection, with the exception of one."

"And what do you think I've got to do with it?"

"C'mon. Who else got a team that could pull this off?"

Fat Cat tossed the rat away like out of disgust. He should be honored, but he felt that his gang wasn't worth so much praise. "Who else, you ask? The Rescue Rangers. That blond tinkerer mouse, to be more precise. I found out she was there. She or her wicked twin. If anyone's got that diamond, it's them. I don't have it."

Francis got up and grabbed his hat which he lost when he hit the ground. "The Rescue Rangers? Right..." He remembered something years ago. A chipmunk in a white tuxedo crammed with all kinds of gizmos who believed he was a super spy. A gorgeous blond mouse in a red dress. And a great defeat when the Rangers used the weapon the professor tried to steal with his help. "Where can I find them?"

"To be honest, I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"If I knew where to find them, they wouldn't exist anymore. All I know is that their place is somewhere in a park in this city. Most probably here in Manhattan. Now move. I bet your time is as precious as mine."

"No clue?"

"Move, I said!!"

"Okay, okay, guess we'd better go now," Francis said as he moved himself backward towards the door and motioned his goons to follow him.

Fat Cat faked a smile. "I'd appreciate that."

As the three uninvited guests were gone, he started to wonder since when the Rangers were thieves themselves. But soon, he had a great idea. "Why should I want one gem if I can have fourteen of them? They shouldn't be too hard to snag from a bunch of rats or whatever animals this bloke commands except these two."

Immediately after the three rats had left the cat statue, a loud call went through its rooms and halls. The caller had some experience with how long he had to wait until only those who were allowed to hear him shout were inside. "Wart! Snout! Mepps! Mole! Come here! Now!"

The four goons obeyed their master's call and quit doing whatever kept them busy, if anything.

* * *


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: One Case And One Case Is One Case

The Rescue Rangers were glad to be out of the MSS Headquarters. They didn't mind paying the squirrels in green a visit, but they preferred different circumstances than that day. Now they were flying back to their own Headquarters, Zipper and Foxglove using their own wings, and the others riding the Rangerwing. Soon, the oak tree they called home was in sight, and Gadget steered the craft into an approach.

"Why can't they live nearer to the ground?" The short rat in the brown coat had just made it up the tree. It had been somehow difficult to find it as only a few insiders knew where the Rescue Rangers Headquarters was, but a couple of police dogs had been able to tell him the way. They were probably right, there was a decal above the door which he figured might be that of the Rescue Rangers. After all, the letter R was in it twice.

Often had he heard of the Rangers and the miracles they did in their never-ending fight against crime and injustice among both humans and animals. He had never seen them personally, he hardly even knew how many they were, let alone who and what species exactly, as only few of those whom he had met and whose tales he had listened to had gone into details. But judging by what everyone had told him, he decided that if someone could provide him with the help he required, it was them. At least, the location and size of their place told him he would most probably not have to deal with predators.

He stood on the platform, tried to regain his breath after the exhausting ascent, and took knocking on the door into consideration when he was suddenly pounced upon from behind. As he lay flat on the wooden floor, he turned his head which was the only part of his body he could still move. To his right, he saw a chipmunk in a loud red Hawaiian shirt holding down his right arm and pressing an elbow into his back. Barely visible was also a rotund mouse who was hardly smaller than himself and who made sure he couldn't move his feet. Turning his head to the other side, he discovered a second chipmunk in an aviator jacket and a fedora hat who secured his left arm.

Then into his field of view stepped a beautiful female mouse with long blond hair wearing a pair of lavender overalls. Indeed, she was beautiful, the sort of a beauty that could take an old rat's heart and mind away with the least effort, for so she did. But she was not as pleased to see him as he was to see her. For a moment, he wondered why the Rangers, assuming these were the Rangers, treated him this way, and if they did it with everyone who was in need of their help. But soon it came to his mind that they might have had to deal with one or even both of his two wicked brothers in the past.

The words coming from the blond mouse confirmed his suspicion. "Nice outfit you're wearing there, Capone, but not enough to trick us! What are you doing here?"

"Yeah," the red-nosed chipmunk in the Hawaiian shirt added, "an' where've ya left your gang?"

"Excuse me," the rat apologized for his siblings, "but you must confuse me with someone else. May I ask who that someone is?"

"Nice, nice, Rat Capone," the blond mouse commented, "you haven't only changed clothes, but now you're trying to hide your Brooklyn gangster slang. Still not enough to convince me."

"Wait, Gadget," the chipmunk in the hat interrupted his female companion. "Maybe he's really not Rat Capone." He pressed harder. "Okay, Francis, who sent you, and why?"

"Hey Chipper, does that mean Double-O Dale has finally defeated his archenemy?" Dale asked with a cheer in his voice.

"Seems so, my friend."

"Will you please listen to me now?" the rat demanded. "I'm neither of these two. I'm their brother."

"Brother?" the chipmunk in the hat wondered. "You mean they are brothers? This explains why Francis has that resemblance to Rat Capone. Interesting."

"One 'appy family o' crooks, right?" came from behind him. "An' what does that make you then, pally?"

"For a start, the only honest one of the bunch. Now if you were so kind and allowed me to get up, I'd explain everything to you. Including why I'm here."

The chipmunk to his left let loose and motioned his fellows to do the same. "Alright, get up and tell us."

"But do one false move, mate," the burly mouse threatened and made his knuckles crack loudly, "an' it could easily be yer last move fer quite a while."

"Calm down, everybody," the rat said, "I'm not here to cause trouble. First, may I ask if you happen to be the famous Rescue Rangers?"

"Yes, that's right." The chipmunk in the hat seemed to trust him enough to offer him a handshake. "We are the Rescue Rangers. Well, a part of them. I'm Chip Maplewood."

One by one, the four Rangers on the main platform introduced themselves to him. The rat shook hands with all of them. "I'm glad I found you guys. My name is Allan Capone. I take it you've come across my brothers Francis and Rupert in the past."

Gadget couldn't believe what she heard, neither could she suppress a slight giggle. "Rupert? You mean this wannabe mafioso Rat Capone has a normal name, too? Well, at least Capone is real."

"Yes," Allan told the Rangers, "we've got Italian ancestors in our past."

"So the rumor isn't true, huh?" Dale asked.

"Which rumor?"

"That all rats from Brooklyn are crooks."

"I wish I could confirm or deny that. But actually, we grew up in Newark, and I've never been to Brooklyn. Rupert's accent is as real as the name he's using, namely not at all."

"Wait, where are our good manners?" Chip opened the front door and invited Allan to enter. "Come on in, meet the others, and tell us why you're here. Foxy, Zipper, LaWahini," he continued by shouting, "you can go inside, the danger is over!"

Allan accepted the invitation and stepped inside, followed by Dale, Monty and Gadget, the latter being watched closely by Chip as she walked past him.

"So there are more than four Rescue Rangers?"

"We used to be five," Chip explained, "you're gonna meet Zipper, the fifth original Ranger, in a minute. Since last year, we've got four new members. It's still a bit difficult to get a team of nine to work properly, especially after all those years of being a tight-knit team of five. So, what brought you here?"

Allan sat down in the teacup armchair. "It's my brother Francis. Like Rupert, he's been on the wrong side of justice as long as I can think. But while Rupert took his last name to try and start a career as a large-scale, 30s-style gangster boss, Francis chose to work for a human. He did so without revealing much of his sentience to him, but that certain human was on the wrong side of law. And that's still the case."

"Case?" Chip said. "That reminds me we're already on a case, but it'll soon be over, and we'll be able to take care of your case then. What is it about?"

"Francis and his two henchrats, I think their names are Louie and Moe, have joined that same human again. I haven't seen the guy, but I know they're working for him."

Dale began to bounce with eagerness. "Oh boy oh boy, the Greatest Spy in the World is back?" He sensed a chance to impress his Foxy who just came in from the hangar, together with Zipper.

After giving his old buddy another bonk on the head, Chip told him, "Dale, in case you haven't noticed yet, the Cold War's over! For whom shall he spy here?"

Allan continued his explanations. "No, as far as I've found out so far, he must have changed his business to jewel thievery. Francis and his rat friends have stolen a set of 13 gems for him, and now they're looking for the missing 14th stone."

"A missing gem in a set of 14?" Chip asked. "Do you happen to know where they're from?"

"Sure. I've watched them for a while. The gems are from a gallery not far from here. One of them has been exhibited, as far as I've been told."

"Gallery?" LaWahini stepped in. When she saw that the rat hadn't left and was in the main room now, she quickly hid the diamond which she was still carrying behind her back. "Uh... I just wanted..."

Chip introduced her to Allan. "LaWahini, this is Allan Capone. Allan, this is LaWahini Hackwrench, Gadget's twin sister. And I'm pretty sure what you said was her cue."

"Why?"

"Because it would be a bigger coincidence if she hadn't got the missing diamond than if she had. She took it from a gallery this morning to keep Fat Cat from stealing it. Come on, LaWahini, show it to us."

The formerly Hawaiian mouse hesitated for a moment, then got the walnut-sized and masterly crafted piece of compressed carbon out from behind herself and handed it to Chip.

"Thanks, LaWahini. Allan, can this one be the missing diamond?"

"I don't know, Mr. Maplewood..."

"Oh, please call me Chip."

"...Chip. I haven't seen the other gems. But as far as you've described its origin, I suppose it's what they're looking for."

Chip sat down on the semi-circular couch. "And again, two cases merge into one. The legal owner of these stones is not missing one, but all 14. If Chief Chesnutt knew that..."

The very moment he said that, Tammy came in. "Chief Chesnutt? Chip, you've met Dad today?"

"Yes, Tammy. Under quite unpleasant circumstances, that is."

"Oh, now I'm curious."

Chip was about to tell the squirrel about the last few hours, but Sparky interrupted him, his blond hair even untidier than usually, and smoke coming out of his ears. "Um, Gadget, where've you stored the fuses? I believe I've blown one."

"Not only one," Dale commented, "an' not for the first time". He received another bonk from Chip before the latter got up and went over to Tammy.

Gadget informed Sparky, "They're in my parts storage in a box labeled, 'Fuses.' You can't miss them. Oh, and we've got a guest. Allan, this is Sparky, another one of the new Rangers."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Sparky." Allan got up and approached the lab rat in the white lab coat.

Gadget tried to warn him. "No, Allan, don't shake his—"

A few sparks and a bit of lightning later, Allan's hairdo resembled Sparky's in a certain way. "Wow, electricity..." he spoke. "I guess I needed a bit of extra energy anyway."

Chip had begun to tell Tammy how the Rangers met her father, but she didn't pay much attention. The incident with Sparky had distracted her, and she was giggling silently.

For Sparky, this was an embarrassing moment. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr... what was your name?"

"Allan. Allan Capone."

"You must excuse 'im," Monty said, "ol' Sparky's got some problems with 'is memory at times. An' with the juice 'e's carryin' around. One gets used ta it after a while."

Gadget smiled. "He's a bit like a rodent capacitor."

"I'd rather refer to him as my walking, talking defibrillator," Tammy demonstrated her medical side.

"Tammy, remind me to invent a real defibrillator for you before we need one. Achally, I hope we won't need that one either."

Monty rubbed his hands against each other. "Y'know, Sparky's special attribute is perfect fer pullin' pranks." He stretched out his index fingers and stood up behind Dale who gave him an angry glare.

Chip tried to get a bit of order into the common chaos. "Um, folks, weren't we on a case?"

Gadget was the first to return to the topic. "Oh, right, the case. Sorry, we got a bit carried away. So what shall we do about these diamonds now?"

Chip motioned Allan and the other eight Rangers to gather around him. "What we shall do is find the other 13 diamonds and bring them back. Allan, you know where they are, don't you?"

"They're in the hands of that human. It won't be easy to take them from him."

Dale put a hand on one of Allan's shoulders. "Don't worry, we've been through tougher cases."

"I don't doubt that," Allan said, "but even if you got them, he'd have ways of getting them back."

"And he'd do anything to achieve that, right? Like he used to?"

"I suppose so, Chip. From what I've heard, he's far from being what I'd call a gentleman."

"That means getting the diamonds back will not be sufficient. If he tries to get them into his possession again, and I can't exclude that, we'll have to put him out of business, too."

"Which requires knowing his business," Gadget added.

"Exactly," Chip confirmed. "Allan?"

"Don't ask me, I've never seen him nor heard too much about him, I think even you know him better than I do. I can't tell you much more than where to find him. Guess he's not blabbing much about his plans as long as Francis is around. Or my dear brother doesn't bother talking about them."

"Then we need to find it out ourselves."

"And how will you accomplish that?"

Chip balanced the diamond on one finger. "Well, we've got the right bait. We'll give him what he wants."

LaWahini got upset about this plan. "Are you crazy, Chip? What was my effort of stealing the diamond good for when you're carelessly giving it away to a crook?"

"For bringing it into our possession, LaWahini," Chip explained. "Now we can do with it what we want. If you hadn't gotten it, he'd have all 14 gems now, and he'd probably be long gone without a trace. But now that it's in our hands, we're making the rules in this game."

"Rules? Game?" Allan didn't understand the way the Rangers treated something that serious.

"Why not? We've been Rescue Rangers too long to regard our cases as a chore. In fact, it can be fun at times."

Dale got it a bit more precise. "The difference between games and our cases is that we always win."

"That, Dale, and the bets tend to be much higher on our cases. Okay, the first step of our plan is to give this guy what he wants. Allan, you said you know where he is, right?"

"Right, but are you really going to give him the diamond?"

"No, Allan. You are."

"I am..."

The first who got Chip's idea was Monty. "Not as yerself, mate. This blighter won't be able ta tell ya from any o' yer crooked siblings. So the only difficult part will be trackin' Francis down."

"That's actually not difficult. Francis returns to this human every evening."

Zipper sighed and remarked how hard it will be to explain all this to Chief Derek Chesnutt.

"Thanks fer remindin' me, Zipper me lad," Monty said. "I need ta ask the squirrels if I can 'ave some o' that knockout stuff."

* * *


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Rodents In Disguise

In the evening of the same day, the Rescue Rangers plus Allan found themselves in an alley near the self-proclaimed Greatest Thief in the World's makeshift residence. They had just arrived there from their stop at the Metropolitan Squirrel Squad Headquarters where they had explained their plan to Chief Derek Chesnutt who had had little choice than to accept it, albeit not quite gladly, and now it was time for its first part to go ahead. Everyone was prepared, especially one of them. In particular, while Zipper was on the lookout, Allan and the other male Rangers couldn't help but take glance after glance at a certain blond mouse in a certain skimpy red dress.

"I still can't believe it," the mouse said. "Gadget, I can't believe you refuse to wear this dress. It has to look as great on you as it looks on me."

Her sister replied, "Well, I don't feel too comfortable in it. I'm achally more than glad to have you here as a Rescue Ranger, for now I don't have to wear it anymore. You can have it if you want."

"You mean... Awwwwww, Gadget, that's way too nice of you. Thank you!" Gadget had rarely seen LaWahini so happy. "Hey, you may still borrow it."

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I'll need it anymore, now that I've found someone who's rather the type to wear it than me. Besides, the disguise this dress belongs to involves make-up. I don't like wearing make-up, while you wear it all the time. You and this dress are a perfect match, believe me. Sparky, what do you think?"

The lab rat looked up and down his mouse companion. After struggling for words for a moment, he said, "Allow me to say this. You're looking gorgeous, LaWahini."

"Aw, thanks, Spa-" LaWahini interrupted her talking when she realized what Sparky had just said. Her eyes widened, and a smile grew all over her face which made her resemble her sister even more. "Sparky, you remember my name!"

She was about to hug him when he stepped back. "Wait a second before you touch me." He held his hands close to a metal signpost and lit up a small part of the alley with tiny bolts of lightning shooting from his hands to the metal pipe until all electricity had flown out of his body.

"It's okay now?" LaWahini asked. Sparky nodded, and she gave him a strong hug which he returned as gently as he could.

While they were holding each other tight and giving the impression they'd never let each other go again, Zipper came dashing up the alley and alerted the waiting rodents that Francis was on his way.

"Okay," Chip ordered, "everybody on their places! LaWahini? LaWahini!"

LaWahini lifted her head off Sparky's chest and opened her eyes. "Huh?"

"Sorry to disturb you, but this is your cue. Francis is coming."

She pried herself off the lab rat. "I'm ready if you are..." Walking past Chip, she gave him a smirk and a wink. "...Chop." She headed on down the alley while everyone else hid.

The day was more than unpleasant for Francis. He and his two goons had been all around Manhattan to track down the missing diamond. Their best option had been the first to fail, and if he knew that this first option was after the whole Clutchcoin Collection now, too, he would have reconsidered returning to his human employer.

"Guys," he complained, "this day was a total waste. And I doubt tomorrow will be any better. The diamond could be anywhere by now."

"Don't worry," Moe tried in vain to cheer him up, "we'll find it someday."

"Someday takes me too long! Besides, what do you expect to happen? Do you think someone will come and just lay the stone into my hands or what?"

An amazing sight distracted Francis from his anger. In the alley they were passing by stood a breath-taking blond mouse in a red dress, shining in the gritty alley and luring him like a siren. He hadn't seen such a sight for many years now, however, he remembered a mouse girl that looked just the same. He also remembered who this mouse girl was and into which trouble she and her friends got him, but despite all this, he stopped immediately.

LaWahini motioned him to come nearer. "Hiya, cute stuff," she recited a quote from Foxglove she had heard a couple of times since they both joined the Rangers.

"Do I happen to know you?" he asked uneasily. She couldn't be the same Rescue Ranger mouse as back then, she would look much older if she was, he figured.

"Is that so important?" she countered his question. "What's more important is that I've got something for you." Again, she gave him signs to approach which he finally did. As Louie and Moe were about to follow him, she stopped them. "Uh-uh-uh-uh. Your friends stay back. It's just you and me."

"You've heard her. Stay where you are. I'll be right back." Francis wasn't sure about how long "right" would be, but somehow he couldn't resist the mouse in front of him, so he went after her to whatever would await him.

LaWahini did her best to keep him focused on what was the most important, and that was her. As she walked along the alley with her hips seductively swinging, she figured that practicing with the high heels all afternoon was worth the time and the effort.

And she did it well. Francis forgot everything around him as they proceeded up the alley. And so it was too late for him to react when he noticed a strong arm wrapping itself around him and another one pressing a wet piece of cloth into his face.

He heard a voice with a strong Australian accent say, "G'night, mate," before his surroundings went darker than they already were.

Chip's head poked out from behind a cardboard box. "Got him, Monty?"

"Yeah, Chipper, 'e's sleepin' like a li'l angel. If that stuff's enough ta knock me out, it should work on this bloke with no problems."

"Monty!" he heard Gadget shout out.

"Sorry, lass. Couldn't resist."

"Good," Chip ordered, "now bring him here so we can switch roles. Allan?"

A few minutes later, Allan stood in the alley in his brother's trademark spy-like outfit. It was practically impossible to tell any difference. "Fellows," he said, "this plan is crazy. It's not that I don't like it, but it's crazy."

"If you wanted a straight and reasonable plan," Dale told him, "you should've asked the Mets to help ya."

Chip grinned. "Allan, you can be lucky that it's not Dale's plan."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!"

Allan was getting impatient. "Alright, guys, give me the gem, and let's get this done."

Foxglove handed him the diamond she had taken care of all the time, and he left for the street. Chip watched him go, then he gave Zipper a sign. "Follow him and see if everything's going ahead according to the plan. Take care that nobody sees you."

The fly saluted and took off after the rat.

Chip felt a hand touch his back and saw the mouse belonging to that hand step up next to him. "You don't trust him, Chip?" Gadget asked.

"I do trust him, Gadget, at least for now. But I've put too much trust in others in the past. And even if he follows the plan, who can assure us that everything else will? We can't neglect anything that's uncertain in this case. Fourteen gem stones are a wholly different league than a kidnapped kitten."

"I see your point, Chip."

"But we've got all the aces. He can't escape with the diamond. I mean, we've got a whole air force here, and he knows that. Besides, Zipper's eyes are on him."

"Still, if you said something's strange about him, I wouldn't deny that. Have you noticed his sudden eagerness?"

"Yes... it's almost as if there's more that's driving him than just a desire to bring some stolen diamonds back to their owner. Now that you mention it... usually rodents don't come to us when they found out something has been stolen from a human they don't even know. And I've got some serious doubts that Allan has ever met Roy Clutchcoin."

Allan hurried down the alley, firmly clutching the diamond in his hands. Chip's plan was unusual, but he actually didn't expect anything too different from such a colorful team of crime-fighters who, despite their almost 20-year experience, were practically amateurs and randomly cobbled together. And this plan fulfilled his wishes. That was what counted for him. 'Francis, big bro,' he thought by himself, 'you'll curse the day I was born with your looks. Remember how I mimicked you when we were kids? Back then it was fun for me, but now it's serious. My payback time has come!'

Francis' two goons were still patiently standing where they were and waiting. 'At least they're faithful,' Allan thought as he saw them, 'even if Francis doesn't even deserve that.' "I'm back," he announced his or rather his brother's return loudly. "And look what I've got here!" He showed them the diamond.

"Wow... what's that?" Louie asked.

"A light bulb, you moron! Geez, it's of course the 14th diamond!"

"Where've you found it?"

"Not at all. The mouse in the red dress gave it to me. She said it doesn't matter where she's got it from. And to be honest, I don't mind as long as I've got it. C'mon, let's bring it to the other gems."

Allan went ahead towards the wooden wall, his brother's lackeys following him like a couple of sheep. He wasn't sure what would await him on the other side of the hole as he had watched Francis only on the street side. But as long as he looked and acted like his brother, everything would be okay.

Holding the gem as though he guarded it with his life, he stepped through the hole and saw for the first time what hid behind the wall. Where a building used to be, there was a large RV standing. It used to be one of the expensive, luxurious sort on tandem rear axles, but when Allan saw it, it gave him a quite run-down impression. 'Seems like this guy used to make a fine living out of being a thief. Well, how shall he ever be caught as long as he's having rats who commit the actual thefts for him?'

A mechanical trigger in the ground made a bell chime. The rear door of the RV opened, and a bald man all dressed in black stepped out. He was pleased to see Allan whom he mistook for Francis, too, and the other two rats, and even more to see the gem. "Ah, my rats are back. And you've found my diamond!" The human took the stone from Allan's hands. "The Clutchcoin Collection is finally complete again! I'm curious about where you got it from, but you couldn't tell me even if you wanted." He went to a gate in the wooden wall and opened it. "I'm going to Las Vegas now to deliver the stones to the professor at the Versailles Palace Casino. Expect me to be back here in a week, you'll receive your reward and new orders when the deal is done." After saying these words, he got onto the driver's seat of the RV and drove away, only stopping to shut the gate.

Allan looked through the hole and watched him leave. 'Humans can be weird. He talks to us, supposes we understand whatever he says, but believes we can't answer him. Well, he'd better not know we can.' "Guys," he addressed to the other two rats, "I'm leaving for now. We'll meet again later."

"Where are you going, boss?"

"What do you think? I'm seeing that mouse again. We're having a date tonight. Bye!"

He left the two clueless crooks behind as he went out onto the sidewalk. 'That's one advantage of them being such retards. They don't ask for details, so I don't have to think of too detailed excuses. That is, apart from the word 'date', this wasn't even a lie.' He couldn't help but grin. 'This human even told me everything I needed to know. It's getting almost too easy.'

Zipper was relieved to see Allan come back. Like Chip, he had expected a lot to occur, from Allan simply running away with the gem to something bad happening to him that would ruin the plan. Satisfied with the outcome of the recently completed phase, he flew back to the other Rangers and interrupted a discussion which, as the few bits he heard told him, was about Allan and the case. He informed his friends that the rat was on his way back, and the Rangers either stayed quiet or changed the subject.

The next to return was Allan himself. He gave the Rangers two thumbs up. "He swallowed the bait! Not only that, he let me know where he's going."

"You mean he's leaving town?" Chip asked.

"Yup. He's heading for Las Vegas, Nevada. He said he's gonna meet some professor or so at a place called Versailles Palace."

Monty started thinking. "Versailles Palace... right, that was that insanely oversized an' overpriced gamblin' casino with two big concert 'alls an' a built-in luxury 'otel with a 'ole lotta stars. I saw somethin' about it on TV some years ago. The owner's a bloke who believes 'e's a straight descendant o' Louis XIV or so."

Tammy was impressed. "Have you seen it yourself, Monty?"

"Nah, the one time I've been ta Vegas was long ago, long before I joined the Rangers. I traveled most o' the world on the seas, an' it's impossible ta sail ta Vegas by ship."

"Gadget, didn't Mom say she was in Las Vegas when the Versailles Casino was built?" LaWahini remembered how her and Gadget's mother told them about her odyssey across the USA when she was on the run from Van Thomas.

"Yes, indeed... she said that the local rodents made sure they'd have their spaces and installations in the building before it was even completed. By day, it was the humans who worked on it, and by night, it was the animals. She said the whole structure was perfect for rodent installations, even better than the UN building with the RAS Head Office in it. And she heard of a large high-security vault the humans installed in its basement."

"The vault... right, they talked 'bout that one on TV, too," Monty confirmed. "It shall 'ave some thousand lockers an' a set o' security systems that are second ta none."

Tammy chuckled. "Well, in case we'd have to break into that thing, we've got an experienced burglar among us, haven't we?" She earned an unmistakable glare from LaWahini.

"Alright, everybody," Chip called out, "let's go back to the Headquarters for today. Tomorrow, we'll pack our cases, we'll take a bit more with us since we might need field headquarters, and catch a plane to Las Vegas. This guy still won't be there before us with his RV, even if he drove all the way non-stop."

"Wowie-zowie!" Dale was about to pounce Chip with all his joy. "We're really goin' to Vegas, Chipper? Really?"

"Yes, Dale, really. Oh, and Dale—no gambling while we're there."

"Aw shoot, I thought that's what Vegas is all about."

"By the way, I almost forgot," Chip said and turned to Allan. "Who is this man we'll have to deal with? Can you describe him, just to be sure?"

"Hm... tall and slim, bald head, pale, long mustache, dark clothes, and talks with an Eastern European or Russian accent."

"Sounds very much like our man."

"And he calls himself the Greatest Thief in the World," Allan added.

"Greatest Thief in the World? That sounds even more like our man."

"Your man? Right, you said you met him before. How, if I may ask?"

"He used to call himself the Greatest Spy in the World. He tried to steal the blueprints of a brand-new armed vehicle and then the vehicle itself before he was defeated by our very own super spy Double-0 Dale and sent to jail." Chip slapped his friend on the back. "Looks like he's in a new business since the Cold War is over."

"Jail? My brother spent a lot of time around a prison some years ago. I've always been sure he was working for this human all that time."

"Your brother Francis already worked for him when he was the Greatest Spy in the World."

"Yes, he and Francis had already been working together for some years when you had him busted. Francis always felt like standing in the shadow of our evil-doing oldest brother, Rupert..."

"Also known as Rat Capone," Gadget interrupted him with a hint of disgust in her voice.

Allan went on, not minding the interruption, "So when this spy, as you call him, was looking out for rats to help him with his espionage, Francis let himself be caught and taught some spying techniques. And since then, they've been working together. First as spies, then as thieves. Huh, come to think I didn't need any human help to spy after him and find all this out."

"And if we're successful," Chip announced, "then not only will the Clutchcoin Collection be returned to its owner, but this crook won't be able to work with your brother anymore for a long time."

"Well, I hope you'll be successful." 'Indeed, I do.' "Let me express that it was an honor to work with you, Rescue Rangers," Allan said as he shook Chip's hand, "and that I'm thankful for you taking over this case."

"We had to do it anyway, Allan, one could say that LaWahini brought it home to us." Chip gave the other Rangers a sign to get on board the two aircraft. "Allan, perhaps we'll meet again when we're back from Vegas. So long!"

"Good luck to all of you!" Allan shouted as Rangerplane and Rangerwing rose up into the sky. 'And see you soon,' he thought.

* * *


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Schemes

As they flew across the city, Gadget was curious about Chip's thoughtful, slightly worried expression. "Chip, darling, what's up? Anything wrong about this case?"

"More than you expect, Gadget. More than you expect. It disturbs me to no end."

"What disturbs you, Chip? Please tell me, don't keep it to yourself."

"For a start, this isn't a usual way for us to get a case. Allan isn't even involved in it. So why would he come and have us track down his brother?"

Tammy supposed, "Maybe he's doing it for fun. To pull a prank on him."

"Don't think so," Chip denied. "Francis is a crook. Allan knows that, and now he knows that we know it, too. Besides, spying after one's brother for some twenty years and then sending us after him is an awful idea for a practical joke. I should know it after all the practical jokes Dale and I have pulled on each other over the years. This is way beyond what I'd call funny."

"What is it then?" LaWahini wondered. "Revenge?"

"That's far more likely, LaWahini. I can imagine how Francis might have done something to Allan sometime in the past. Or Allan is simply ticked off about being the only honest of three brothers." Chip stared ahead into the Rangerwing's flight direction. "Now he's using us as an instrument to pay everything back. And he was lucky enough to catch us in this case, so we haven't got a choice of whether or not to play along in his game. We've promised to bring the gems back." He leaned back on the co-pilot's seat. "He caught us in this weird case. He caught us, and this bugs me even more."

Gadget did not quite understand. "So he caught us, okay, but how does that bug you?"

"He fooled us all into his dirty little game. He fooled me into his game, me who should've known better. We could've had it so easy. We could've snagged the gems back right away and brought them back to Roy Clutchcoin. We were so close to them! But no, we didn't. We followed Allan's plan, and now we have to chase them all the way to Las Vegas—and even then we still have to find them."

"Chip." Gadget laid a hand on his arm. "Being a Rescue Ranger doesn't always mean going the easy way. This you should know well, too, you were one of the first two Rangers. And don't worry about him tricking us. It's not like he has lured us into a trap."

"What makes you so sure there's not a trap waiting for us in Vegas?" Chip asked with a much firmer voice. "Gadget, are you protecting him? Although I could understand if you did."

"What do you mean, Chip?"

"C'mon, don't tell me you haven't noticed the way he looked at you."

"Golly, Chip, you're jealous!"

"Of course I'm jealous, Gadget! I've fought for you for 18 years, I've kept Dale at a distance which wasn't easy and didn't always work, I've taken you to 500 dates and tried to tell you how I felt, I've spent sleepless nights after so many dates on which I didn't tell you, do you believe I let that bloke snag you away from me after all that effort?"

"Chip, calm down, please." Gadget let her hand slide forward and took Chip's hand in a soft, gentle grip. "Chip, I love you, and you know that. I love you at least as much as you love me. And I've struggled for telling you about my feelings and finding out about yours as much as you did. Not all that long, but I did, and it wasn't easy for me either. I promise you that nothing and nobody will ever come between us."

These kind words brought a smile of both relief and affection into Chip's face. Still holding the bottle cap yoke with one hand, Gadget leaned over and kissed him. The three passengers on the back seat watched them, and Sparky and LaWahini secretly exchanged glances.

"I'm sure this wasn't our only encounter with Allan Capone these days, though," Chip said. "I really wonder what he's up to now."

Allan was on his way back home. "This is going ahead surprisingly well," he said to himself. "These Rangers are better than their reputation. So eager for a good case, and thus so easy to control. With their assistance, I'll finally make the good victorious over the evil. But if they think they've seen me for the last time, they'd better reconsider. For I'm going to Vegas, too, to make sure that they, well, solve their case. Yes, and to spend some time with a certain mouse in lavender." He turned back to where he came from. "Sweet dreams, Francis. Your next one will be a nightmare."

Francis woke up in a gloomy alley. He felt woozy from whatever he had been knocked out with, figuring he had certainly been knocked out. He felt chilly from lying there in his underwear, discovering most of his clothes piled up next to him. And he was all alone, the mouse in red was nowhere in sight. "What's going on here?" Slowly, the idea came up in his mind that this gorgeous mouse was the same as the one he met almost two decades ago, shortly before the human he worked for went to jail after her friends had played their super-spy game. He asked himself what made her so young, given that was the case, since cosmetic surgery was unknown in the rodent society.

He stood up and put on his clothes, wondering what had happened while he was unconscious, and if his two goons were still where he left them. And indeed, they were there as he found out when he returned to the sidewalk. He had no clue what time it was as it had already been fairly dark when he met that mouse. But the faith of these two rats amazed him ever and ever again.

"What was your date like?" Louie asked as soon as he and Moe spotted him.

"Date? What date?"

"But you said yourself you were going on a date with the mouse in red!"

'Louie and Moe thought they had seen me while I was out cold. I was in my underwear when I woke up.' Slowly, Francis began to realize that someone must have taken his place. "Okayyyy... and what did I say and do before that?"

"Well," Louie explained, "you came with this diamond, you said the mouse in red gave it to you, and we gave it to the human." And Moe wondered, "Why, have you lost your memory on your date?"

"There was no date! The date was a fraud! I was knocked out, I believe it was those Rescue Rangers who did that, and someone pretended he was me! Where's the human?"

"He's on his way to Las Vegas with the stones."

"Wait. You wanna tell me that someone that looked like me came and completed my plan in my place?"

"Um... yes, I think..."

On the one hand, Francis thought, he should not have a reason to worry. After all, the missing diamond had found its way back into the collection, and if that other rat had resembled him so perfectly, the human hadn't been able to tell them from each other. On the other hand, it wasn't him, and whoever it was instead, he must have had a reason for doing that. Especially if the Rescue Rangers were behind it.

The remaining question was who that rat was. From his earlier encounters with the Rangers, he still remembered there was no rat in their team, at least none that had any resemblance to him. So he went through all rodents he remembered who could be mistaken as him by a human as well as by two retarded goons, and who would fit into his clothes. 'Rupert? Nah, if he ever got a diamond into his fingers, he'd never let it go. He'd rather try to get the other gems, too. Which only leaves...' "Allan!" he finally shouted out. "This so sounds like you. Whatever you're trying to achieve, you won't succeed, and you'll pay for what you've done so far, little brother. C'mon, guys." He motioned his henchmen to follow him.

"Where are we going, Francis?"

"We're paying my little brother Allan a little visit. I know where he's living, unfortunately... for him."

Led by Francis, the group of three made its way through the city, heading for the dwelling-place of who was regarded as the traitor of the family. Alleys and courtyards, in some of which garbage piled up and served as living-places and supplies for mostly mice and rats, changed with brightly-lit streets and places lined by office buildings and shopping malls almost entirely devoid of human life. In one of the latter sorts of street, stopping at the side of a street and waiting for a chance to cross it rather safely, they noticed a shadow covering them. They turned around and saw a tomcat of enormous dimensions, accompanied by four animals they had seen before.

"Why," Fat Cat almost purred, "who do we have here?"

Francis tried to convince himself that he respected, but did not fear the tabby gangster. "What do you want, Fat Cat?"

"Well, when you came to visit me earlier today, you were so kind and mentioned a number of gems. Now allow me to be so kind," Fat Cat grasped the rat by his collar and pulled him up, "and ask you where they are!" He pressed the tip of a claw under Francis' throat. "Otherwise..."

Francis forced a gulp past the claw. He had no other choice than telling Fat Cat. "I don't know where they are now."

"Wrong answer, rat!"

"They're somewhere on their way to Las Vegas! They shall arrive tomorrow! There, that's all I know, is it sufficient information for you?"

"Las Vegas? As in Las Vegas, Nevada? The gamblers' paradise in the desert? Is that the truth, or are you trying to get me out of town?"

"I swear it is the truth!"

Fat Cat glared at Francis for a few seconds, then simply dropped him onto the pavement. His face brightened. "I believe you. But only because I love the thought of seeing Las Vegas. And maybe getting one or two bits of inspiration for my own casino." He spotted a large public transit vehicle approach. "Oh, and how convenient, there's a bus coming that goes directly to the JFK airport." He and his gang ran across the street and jumped under the bus. As he clung to its underframe, he waved at the three rats and sang loudly, "Viva Las Vegas!" It wasn't quite the sort of ride he felt he deserved, not even closely, but it brought him closer to where he desired to go, and quickly so.

The rats watched them disappear, and Francis did so with not little concern. "Now they're on their way to Vegas... to steal the gems, I'm sure..."

"What shall we do now, Francis?"

"Well, for a start, we must do something. This rotten cat is certainly able to ruin the entire deal, and the human might very well end up getting busted and sent to a prison where we can't reach him. No, we need to fly to Vegas, too, and make sure they won't get the stones." Francis waved for a group of pigeons to land.

"But can we fly to Las Vegas on pigeons?" Moe asked.

"Of course not, you imbecile! The pigeons will get us to our flight."

"You want to catch the same plane as Fat Cat? Won't that be dangerous?"

"That won't only be dangerous, it'll also take too much time as the next direct flight will go early tomorrow morning. No, we'll take a late flight to the West, change planes, and take an even earlier flight to Vegas from where we end up tonight."

"And what if we meet Fat Cat at the airport?"

"In case you didn't know yet, this city has got more than one airport."

The pigeons landed and offered their services to the three rats. "Good evening," one of them said politely, "you want us to take you somewhere?"

"Yes," Francis answered as he boarded the pigeon, "get us to the LaGuardia airport."

* * *


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Heading Westward

The next morning, the John F. Kennedy airport was still illuminated artificially only when an airliner was pushed back from its gate to taxi to the runway, its crew being unaware of the five uncaged animals in the baggage compartment. Another animal, a short rat, came running onto the airfield and could only watch the aircraft move away from where it had been standing a few minutes ago.

"Aw shoot!" Allan cursed in between panting. "So much about getting a pigeon being easy in this city. That's what you get when you've got to run all the way."

He suddenly felt a strong wind from behind and heard a female voice from the same direction. "Excuse me, but you tried to catch the flight to Las Vegas?"

Allan turned around and saw a female albatross towering over him. She wore an aviator cap and a pair of goggles and had a sardine can tied to her back. "Sorry, my bad," she apologized, "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amelia."

"Yes, indeed, Amelia," Allan replied, "I need to get to Las Vegas as early as possible."

"Oh, that won't be easy from here. The next direct flight to Las Vegas won't depart until in four hours."

"Four hours? That's awfully long."

"But," Amelia offered, "I can take you to Philadelphia where you can catch a much earlier flight with one stop in St. Louis. I'm flying that direction anyway, transfer flight to Key West for the RAS."

For a moment, Allan wished he had the time to spend the rest of the winter and part of the following spring on the Florida Keys instead of New York City. But he directed his mind back upon his duty. "Okay, I'm coming with you."

"Then get on board quickly. The humans don't like having birds as big as me on their airports." Amelia helped Allan into the sardine can. "When you're seated, close the can with the key so that you're secured."

"Alright, Ma'am." Allan did as he was ordered and furthermore stuffed his plaid hat into his jacket before Amelia took off the clumsy albatross way. Not for one single moment did he consider it a misuse that an albatross from Albatross Airlines, a subsidiary of the Rescue Aid Society, helped him accomplish his mission. After all, he was fighting evil. To him, the reason did not matter.

"Say," he wondered, "how come an albatross knows so much about human flight plans?"

Amelia answered, "Have you ever taken a look at the sky on a normal working day? Do you know how crowded it is up here? It was one of the reasons why my granduncle Orville is doing his service in Louisiana and refuses to come to the Northeast today. We simply need to know where and when it's safe to fly so we don't endanger the agents we're carrying. That, and we're often riding human planes on urgent or long-distance missions."

Hours later, while Francis was on his flight from Philadelphia and a jet plane with another three rats aboard left Chicago, the landing strip at the Rescue Rangers Headquarters began to show some activity in the early morning sunshine. The nine Rescue Rangers were hauling their luggage and the equipment needed for Field Headquarters to their two aircraft.

"Hey Chip," Gadget said with a smile, "remember the times when Dale used to take nothing but candy bars and comic books with him when we went on a longer journey?"

"Oh yes," Chip replied, "but he hasn't cut down on comic books as much as he has on candy."

"Hey," Dale protested, heaving his bag into the Rangerplane, "the only reason you're not getting yourself new Sureluck Jones books is that there aren't any new ones written anymore."

Upon hearing this, Chip reconsidered telling the other Rangers what he had heard a few days ago, namely that Roger Baskerville was continuing his father's crafts and about to release the first new Sureluck Jones novel. In fact, it was first-hand information from his dog Macduff who informed the leader of the Rangers as soon as he was sure enough about it. Macduff even promised to send Chip one of the first rodent editions of the novel as soon as it would be released in the United Kingdom.

Chip figured that once his Sureluck Jones collection started growing again, he would have much less to say against Dale's comic collection. Besides, he himself read more than one author's detective novels, too, and even some Sureluck Jones fan fiction written by both humans and animals. Recently, however, he found less time for reading as his relationship with Gadget kept him more occupied. But although he had to lead the Rescue Rangers on yet another mission, one that even led them to Las Vegas, he took another detective novel with him.

"Outta the way, everyone!" Through the hangar door and out onto the platform came Monty. He carried a bag so large that he was unable to see anything ahead of him, but he managed to find the Rangerplane's starboard side. "'ey Dale lad, can yer 'elp me?"

Dale saw the huge bag before he saw Monty behind it. "Chip, how come Monty's allowed to take so much with him, and I'm not?"

For this question, he got another bonk on the head from Chip, mostly out of tradition, though. "That's not Monty's luggage, that's our Field Headquarters equipment! Now go help him."

"Okay, okay, I'm gone." Dale stomped away, climbed onto the Rangerplane, and heaved up the bag to put it onto the seat next to the pilot while Monty pushed from below. Foxglove, who had already taken her seat on the Rangerplane, got up and felt Dale's muscles work in his arms and his body. Dale turned his head around, gave his bat a smile, and tore the heavy bag all the way up alone, lifting it out of Monty's hands.

Chip stood and stared in amazement. Gadget was hardly less amazed, she laid her arm around him and said, "Love can give you super-powers, hm?"

A few motions of his later, Chip held her on his arms as if to carry her over the doorstep after their wedding. "Indeed, Gadget, it does."

"Chip," Gadget expressed her being surprised, "what are you doing there?!"

"Practicing," he replied as he took her to the Rangerwing and carefully placed her onto the pilot seat. She felt tempted to ask him what he practiced for, but a part of her mind knew it quite well, even though he hadn't spoken a single word about it. For a moment, she wished he would.

She went through the pre-flight checklist while he sat down next to her. Seeing that she was busy, he addressed to her sister who sat behind her. "Is everyone ready, LaWahini?"

"Wait." The former Hawaiian mouse got up and shouted, "Last call for the Ranger flight to Las Vegas! Everyone please get aboard!"

The last two to leave the Headquarters were Sparky and Tammy. Both sat down on the Rangerwing's backseat, Sparky in the middle and Tammy behind Chip. "What, we're flying to Las Vegas?" the lab rat asked.

LaWahini rolled her eyes. "Sparky, we've talked about it all morning, not to mention all evening yesterday. Don't tell me you've forgotten it again."

Sparky gently nudged her. "Hey, I was just kidding. I guess I'm as excited to see Las Vegas as everyone else here."

"Don't forget we've got a job to do," Chip reminded him and the others. "I'd like you to concentrate on the case." Something about traveling to Las Vegas actually made him feel uncomfortable, something he couldn't quite put a finger on. Deep inside, he wished the Rangers could bring this case behind themselves and leave Las Vegas as quickly as possible. But no matter how hard he tried, there was no way he could give a reasonable explanation for this desire. It was just simply there.

"Everyone aboard, Chip," LaWahini approved after checking the Rangerplane which stood in front of the Rangerwing.

"Thanks, LaWahini. Monty, are you ready?"

"Fer sure, Chipper!" the Aussie mouse shouted back from the Rangerplane's pilot seat.

"Well, then—Rescue Rangers, away!"

Monty unlocked the Rangerplane's clockwork drive, Gadget started up the Rangerwing's two tilting electric motors, and the two aircraft took off. They flew across the city and approached the airport against the wind to catch their flight. And indeed, when they entered the airfield, an airliner was taxiing onto the runway.

"That's the one! We're right in time!" Gadget motioned Monty to follow her.

"Are you sure, Gadget?" Tammy asked.

"Of course I am. The time is right, the airline is right, even the aircraft model is right."

"You know all this?"

"Sure, the Rangers always have a set of up-to-date flight schedules at hand."

Chip added, "And we have to rely on them, we can't check in like humans who then are automatically directed to the right plane."

LaWahini laid back and sighed. "I take it we're gonna ride in the gear well again, right?"

Gadget turned back to where her sister was sitting. "Right. But at least we're not going all the way to Hawaii this time."

"Gadget, ten wild horses couldn't drag me back to Hawaii. Now would you please look ahead to where we're flying before we hit something? Thank you very much."

The airliner had just stopped at the end of the runway when the two Ranger aircraft reached it and attached themselves to one of the main landing gears, the Rangerplane using the pair of suction cups, the Rangerwing securing itself with the grappling arm which was usually hidden in its belly, but Gadget kept its motors running as long as it was outside. They weren't a second too early, for as soon as they firmly clung to the gear, the human pilots slammed the throttles, and the two jet engines under the wings unleashed a storm in which no animal aircraft would be able to survive.

Monty put his goggles over his eyes. "Foxy," he advised the bat on the Rangerplane's backseat, "ya'd better keep yer wings ta yerself, it's gonna get pretty stormy, an' I don't want ya ta be blown outta the plane. 'ave ya fastened yer seat belt?"

"Yes, Monty," Foxglove confirmed. She had been through a lot of adventures with the Rangers, but none of them required piggybacking on a human airliner. "Uh, won't Zipper have troubles?"

"Nah, he always finds somethin' ta 'old on ta, no need ta worry, lass."

"Oh, he doesn't have to. Hey Zipper, come here."

The plane had already started rolling when Zipper released his grip from one of the balloon straps and flew to Foxglove. She caught him and carefully laid a wing over him, gently pressing him against herself and protecting him against the fierce winds blowing from ahead and growing stronger with the plane accelerating.

Dale smiled. "Y'know, Foxy, I sometimes wish I was as tiny as a fly. Then you could do that with me."

"Aw, Dale, you're too sweet." Foxglove sat and smiled at the chipmunk next to her. And the very moment the gears were retracted and the hatch shut below the Rangers, keeping the wind outside, it was safe enough for her to lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Are we still complete?" Monty called out. "Gadget luv, yer there?"

The Rangerwing's spotlight lit up the dark well. "Yes, here I am, Monty," Gadget responded, "and we're complete." She directed the Rangerwing down onto a safe spot on the landing gear and shut down the motors, but the grappling arm remained in use.

"Great Scott," Sparky commented and blinked, "I knew I should have taken my lab goggles with me."

"Goggles?" LaWahini wondered. "Why haven't you just closed your eyes, Sparky?"

"Oh yes, now that you mention it, I think I could have done that, too."

LaWahini couldn't help but smile about that answer. Sometimes, Sparky reminded her of her own sister, even if he was harder to deal with at times. He had something about him that she liked, whatever it was. And it was certainly none of the three main things he had in common with her ex-boyfriend Shaka Baka which were that they both were rodents, tall, and blond.

The howling of the engines and the whistling of the wind in the sealed gaps of the hatch below the Rangers was something which LaWahini felt she could get used to. It made sitting in a rodent aircraft in an almost dark gear well somehow calming and comfortable.

She relaxed and leaned against the laboratory rat next to her. "Chip," she spoke, "allow me to ask one question."

"Sure, LaWahini. You're still new, so go ahead."

"Why are we flying to Vegas that early? I mean, according to Allan, this self-proclaimed Greatest Thief in the World is traveling in an RV. So how quickly can he arrive in Vegas?"

"LaWahini, we Rescue Rangers must be prepared for everything. The earlier we're there, the more time we've got to set up our Field Headquarters, and to organize our operation. Besides, you never know in advance what may happen."

"I see. Well, I guess there's really a lot for me to learn."

Indeed, Chip figured, it was a lot. For example, she sometimes forgot that she was part of a team and acted on her own without any coordination with the other Rangers. And when she did so, she didn't even act like a Ranger. She had an alarmingly offensive way of going through cases.

Chip knew that he could hardly tame her, her who had tried to kill him in an artificial butane-burning volcano many years ago. He was the leader of the Rescue Rangers, but LaWahini showed a significant lack of obedience and respect towards her new leader. On the other hand, there seemed to be someone who might be able to achieve that. Chip could impossibly ignore the way LaWahini's head rested against Sparky, and how he unconsciously laid his arm around her.

'Gadget's semi-ferocious twin sister and the team's quirky science nerd. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.'

* * *


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The King Of Crime

Chip woke up from his slumber as soon as he noticed that the airliner was in a descent, and that the engines were running at less than half thrust. He knew what that meant, but he had to make sure that everyone else was aware of it, too. "Get ready, Rescue Rangers," he shouted, "we're landing!"

Gadget's eyes popped open. "I'm awake!" Quickly, she grabbed the bottle cap yoke with one hand and switched on the Rangerwing's motors with the other. "And ready! I'm ready, too!"

LaWahini took waking up way easier. "Hey sister, no need to panic. Shouldn't you be used to this situation?"

"Sorry, LaWahini, but I usually don't fall asleep while riding a human plane."

Chip explained, "You know, Gadget's sleep has become much more sound since last year. She had to be dead tired to catch any sleep most of the time I've known her. Hey Monty, ready to go over there?"

"We were born ready, mate! 'ey Foxy, take care of me li'l pally Zipper again, will ya?"

"Sure, Monty!" Foxglove offered Zipper to hide behind her wing again. He accepted the offer.

With their seat belts fastened and in certain cases their eyes shielded by goggles, the Rangers waited until the hatch opened and the gear started moving. When the wind caught them, the two rodent aircraft were released, and only Gadget's and Monty's piloting experiences kept them from tumbling helplessly behind the human airliner. The two mice in charge steered their craft to where the air was calmer and safer to fly in.

Now the passengers could take a first glance at the city. The morning sun covered the city and the almost uncountable hotels and casinos that stuck out of the skyline with a warm reddish glow. But although the night was over, Las Vegas appeared as something mightily impressive to the visitors from the East Coast.

"Wowie-zowie," Dale exclaimed almost in disbelief, "I'm in Las Vegas! Hey Chipper, what are we gonna do first?"

"First," Chip replied from the other aircraft, "we're gonna set up our Field Headquarters near the Versailles Palace. By the way, does anyone know where that thing is? Monty?"

"It's been a while since I was 'ere the last time, Chip," he pointed towards a not extraordinarily tall, but vastly spread structure not too far away from the airport, "but I recall it's one o' the biggest estates in Vegas ever. They 'ad ta blast three ol' 'otels in a row ta make way fer this monster an' its huge park. Must be o'er there, mates."

Gadget was the next to discover the building. "Golly, that thing does look like the real Versailles. I wanna have a closer look at it."

"We're flying there anywhere, Gadget," Chip said, "and I'm sure we'll see it from inside once the case requires it. For now, I say we've got plenty of time to set up our Field Headquarters..."

Chip was interrupted by Zipper flying past at high speed. He had just leapt off the Rangerplane. The next thing Chip and the other Rangers aboard the Rangerwing saw was a red blur fluttering after him. That blur had Foxglove's voice. "Zipper! Wait! Where are you flying?"

"On the other hand," Chip expressed his spontaneous change of mind, "I'd like to know what Zipper's up to. Gadget, Monty, follow the two."

After a wild flight across the airfield, Zipper landed on the edge of a roof. Seconds later, Foxglove touched down next to him. "Zipper, will you now explain to me what's up?"

The housefly gave the bat an explanation, but his excitement didn't make it easy for her to follow his words. She noticed that he pointed down to the airfield, though.

"Sorry, but when you speak so fast, I can't understand you. So what's it?"

Zipper took a deep breath and explained once more. He told her that he had spotted something that looked like an RV being driven out of a cargo plane.

"Do you think it's him?"

Zipper said that there was only one way to find out, and that she should wait for him, he'd be back soon. With these words, he took off again and flew down to the large vehicle, seconds before the two Ranger aircraft landed behind Foxglove.

Monty was the first to jump off. "Foxy, where's Zipper gone?"

"I believe he thinks the thief has already arrived. Now he's down there to find it out."

The Australian mouse stepped to the edge and took a glance down. "Now that'd be one bonzer coincidence if that ve'icle down there wasn't the one we're after."

Chip joined him. "He has flown here with his RV in a cargo plane? Does he believe he's being followed? I mean, how can he know that we're chasing him again?"

Gadget supposed, "Maybe he had to take into consideration that the human police might have picked up his trail, too..."

This time, it was her who got interrupted, and by Foxglove. "Chip, there's a limousine coming. Apparently, someone in it is an Elvis fan."

"How do you know, Foxy?"

"I'm a bat, Chip. I can hear the music in the car."

Attracted by the action, all Rangers with the exception of Zipper lined up at the edge and watched the scene. A pearl white stretch limousine, unusually long even for Las Vegas standards, approached the RV and came to a halt in front of it. "Whoever that is," Tammy commented on the size of the limo, "I'm sure this car is there to compensate something."

The door on the driver's side of the RV opened, and the driver got out. The original Rangers recognized him immediately. "'ands up who's seen that bald-'eaded blighter before," Monty said. He, Chip, Dale, and Gadget rose their hands. Foxglove asked, "Does having heard his story count?"

"There," LaWahini suddenly exclaimed, "someone's leaving the limo." She and the others watched as a man stepped out of the oversized automobile which previously hid him behind Venetian mirror windows. As long as the door was open, not only Foxglove could hear the music from inside the limousine, performed by someone whom the man tried to resemble but failed miserably. He was short, so short that only his just as ridiculously oversized black wig with attached false sideburns reached up higher than the car roof. He wore a glittering white suit, a belt buckle which not only looked like a vintage, chrome-plated hubcap but actually was one, and the sort of large sunglasses that had gone out of fashion more than 25 years ago. He obviously tried to give the coolest possible impression as he approached the bald man standing next to the RV.

Only Zipper who hid on the roof of the RV and Foxglove who had the best hearing in the team could hear their conversation. "Viva Las Vegas!" the vertically challenged Elvis imitation greeted, his attempt at sounding like the original failing at his incompatible voice. "I'm glad you could come."

"Elton Nimley, I suppose," the thief said.

"Uh-huh, that's me," the guy in white approved and pointed his thumbs at himself. "Now please fetch your... luggage and get into my limousine."

"What's wrong with my RV?"

"Driving through Las Vegas in an RV like yours is like riding through Sturgis on a soft-chopper made in South Korea. That is, if you enjoy the feeling of being laughed at..."

"I understand. Guess it's part of being in Las Vegas."

The thief went and got a suitcase and a small black chest out of his vehicle. The suitcase he put into the limousine's trunk whereas he took the box with him into the passenger compartment where his host was already waiting.

As the limousine turned around to leave the airport, Gadget noticed that even the windscreen was a Venetian mirror. "Golly, I wonder how the driver is supposed to see anything."

"Foxglove," Chip asked, "what did they say? And can you locate Zipper?"

"Zipper's on his way back to us, I can clearly hear his buzz against all the noises around here. And they didn't talk that much. But can you believe that this short guy's name is Elton Nimley?"

"Elton Nimley?" Dale burst out laughing. "This dude's such a lame excuse for an Elton John copy."

Chip's fist came down upon his head. "He's not copying Elton John, he's copying Elvis Presley!"

"Wait, Chip. Elton Nimley..." Gadget's brains began to work. "This name rings a bell. If you take away the parts taken from the King's name... could it be..."

Chip and Gadget turned to each other. "Norton Nimnul?!"

"May well be," Monty said. "At least, 'e's short enough. 'ey folks, Zipper's back. What've ya seen, pally?"

Zipper reported what he had seen and gave a detailed description of the two men. Furthermore, he added that the limousine was certainly going into the direction in which Versailles Palace lay.

"Okay," Chip declared, "this sounds too much like Nimnul teaming up with the former Greatest Spy in the World. And I'm more than certain that the gems are in that black bag. Everyone aboard, we have to get to the Palace quickly!"

The Rangers piled into their two aircraft and took off. Being able to fly and not bound to the city streets with their sometimes dense traffic, they easily made it past the limousine and arrived at the Versailles Palace before the two crooks.

"See, pallies," Monty explained as they flew over the vast estate, "this thing's as 'uge as the original. They've even rebuilt most o' the park."

"Mom said this palace's a maze," Gadget remembered her mother's words, "even for humans, but more so for rodents. It might get hard to find the two men or the bag with the gems in there."

"'ey Gadget," Monty shouted from the Rangerplane, "I could jes' snag the bag with me plungers when that blighter leaves the limo, an' we 'it the road. It's almost too simple."

"And definitely too dangerous, Monty. You can't pry it off the thief's hands, especially not at bright daylight, and much less with Nimnul around."

"No," Chip decided, "we need to track it down wherever it goes. And then take it when it's unguarded."

"Chip," Foxglove suddenly warned, "they're coming! We'd better hide somewhere."

"Foxy, your hearing amazes me again and again. Can you identify the sound of the engine or the tyres on the asphalt?"

"Actually, I can hear the King sing. Again."

Chip smirked about that remark, then spotted a fine place to hide in. "Gadget, Monty, fly to the bushes over there. They're ideal for setting up our Field Headquarters."

"Roger Wilbury!" Gadget confirmed and steered the Rangerwing behind the row of plants and landed it safely, and Monty followed with the Rangerplane. From their hiding, the Rangers watched as the pearl white limousine moved onto the spacey terrace in front of the palace and stopped in front of the main entrance. Nimnul, or Nimley as he called himself, and the thief got out. A hotel clerk heaved the thief's suitcase out of the trunk, and the three entered the building through a big revolving door.

"Did they say anything, Foxy?" Chip asked as the Rangers' hiding was too far away from the entrance.

"Not a word, Chip. Probably because the waiter was within hearing reach. Shall anyone follow them?"

"Yes. Zipper, find out what they're doing in there."

The fly saluted and dashed away. "Well, as long as he's gone," Chip said, "we should install the Field Headquarters. We can't do much on this case until we get any news from Zipper." Helping Monty and Sparky heave the large bag from the Rangerplane's passenger seat, he added, "By the way, LaWahini, see why it's good to be so early?"

"Yes," she answered, "I think I've understood now."

* * *


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The White Mouse

Underneath the bushes, the Rangers prepared themselves for their operation. Three tents were mounted, one for the guys, one for the girls, and one serving as a conference room. All of them were made of supports similar to Chip and Dale's bunk bed and covered with parts of plastic shopping bags, the rigid sort used by fashion stores on Fifth Avenue. Sleeping bags were placed into two of the tents while the third one, the conference tent, was equipped with folding furniture scavenged from a discarded doll house and reworked for Ranger purposes and easy portability. Setting up the full Field Headquarters made sense since the box with the Clutchcoin Collection had disappeared somewhere in the vast palace, and finding it would certainly take its time, not to mention getting it out of the building.

Hardly noticed by the far-traveled rodents and one chiropteran, a mouse stood and watched from a safe distance. The Rangers did not get aware of his presence until he finally came closer and spoke to them. "That's interesting what you're doing there. Um, what are you doing? This isn't a vacation, is it?"

Chip was the first to react. He turned around to see who was talking. What he saw was a white mouse in a light blue shirt who slowly came nearer. Chip was uncertain whether to trust this mouse in such a delicate case. Yet still he was representing the Rangers, and the mouse's obvious shyness seemed too real to be pretended. "Hello," he greeted the stranger friendly, "we are the Rescue Rangers." He offered a hand. "Nice to meet you..."

"Todd." The mouse took Chip's hand and shook it carefully. "Wow, you are the Rescue Rangers? I've heard and read a lot about you, and when I saw you here, my first thought was you might be them. But why are you so many, weren't you a team of five?"

"Yes, we used to be five. We've added some old friends to the team last year, most of whom have been with us on earlier cases, so now we're nine. And to answer your other question, no, this isn't a vacation, we're on a case. I can't tell you too much about the case, though."

Todd took a glance around the group until he spotted Gadget and LaWahini in front of the girls' tent. "Then you are the famous Gadget Hackwrench?"

"Who," LaWahini asked, "her or me?"

"Her of course," Todd replied. "I doubt that Gadget Hackwrench would wear a dress with flowers on it and eyeshade. That wouldn't be her."

While LaWahini was a bit disappointed that Todd was one rodent less to be fooled easily into believing she was Gadget if necessary, the real Gadget blushed and said, "Golly, you must know me quite well. I didn't know that I'm so famous. Apart from being a Rescue Ranger, that is."

"Of course you are! They call you the First Lady of Engineering on the Usenet."

"Usenet?" Gadget wondered. "Who's talking about me on the Usenet?"

"Well, mostly other rodents. We can access the Usenet and other parts of the Internet via modified handheld computers and smartphones. And we can do a lot more with them. Never heard of it?"

This was proof enough for Gadget. She appreciated his being interested in her neither for her looks nor for her gender, but for her brains and knowledge in terms of science and engineering. However, the geeky appearance he gave had just been approved by his words. "Wlachally, I'm more at home in labs and workshops than behind computers, so I guess I'm lacking experience in these fields."

Todd didn't listen to all of what she said, for someone else caught his interest. He directed his view away from Gadget and began approaching another target. "Um, hey Sparky! Sparky, is it you? The lab rat from the MIT?" Curious about what was going on, Gadget followed him.

Sparky interrupted what he was doing, assembling the conference tent. "Yes, I guess it's me. And you are?"

"Todd." He was about to shake Sparky's hand when he stopped in the tracks. "Er, may I?"

"May you what?"

"Shake your hand."

"Sure, why not?"

"No risk of electric shock then?"

"No, I'm discharged."

Todd frantically shook Sparky's hand. "Sparky, it's an honor to meet you, and it's a surprise to see you as a Rescue Ranger. You aren't at the MIT anymore?"

"No, they had no use for me anymore, so I returned to New York City."

"Say, how's your friend Buzz doing? You're still in contact?"

"Sure, he's still an MIT mascot." Sparky pulled Todd closer and whispered, "And when he's not busy being a mascot, he's working on a mechanical guinea pig. Repairing and improving it, at least that's what I've heard."

Despite Sparky's whispering, Gadget had heard every word. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Golly, so that's where it went after the case?"

"Yes, Buzz and I got it halfway into working order again and took it as our means of transportation to the MIT. Of course, we only used it at night and hid it during the days. Well, Buzz doesn't have that much time at hand, nor does he have your mechanical skills, Gadget, and that's why he's still working on it."

"Well, in that case, we should take a travel to the MIT so I can have a look at it. But Todd, how did you know? From Buzz himself? From you, Sparky?"

"No, it was no-one from the MIT," Todd answered. "That is, he claims he's living on the campus, but he's got nothing directly to do with the MIT. He keeps us up-to-date about what happens at the Institute and elsewhere in the Northeast. His screen name is Mouseo, by the way. He says it's inspired by a comedy group from some decades ago."

"Mouseo..." Gadget's eyes went another bit wider open upon hearing this name. "One of my few childhood friends. I've only seen him... four times since the Rangers were founded."

By chance, Dale came past the small group. "Mouseo? You mean that funny-looking deaf-mute mouse?"

Todd would have turned pale if he hadn't already been white-furred. "He's deaf-mute? I didn't know that! But then again, what do I know about my screen pals in real life, sometimes not even their species. I sort of feel sorry for him..."

Gadget laid a hand onto his shoulder. "Don't worry, Todd, he's just fine. He was born that way, he doesn't miss his hearing. He told me once he even believes that being able to hear would just distract and confuse him."

Their conversation was interrupted by Monty's call. "Zipper's back, an' 'e's got news fer us!"

"Zipper?" Todd thought for a moment. "So that's why I haven't seen any fly yet although I expected one. Where was he?"

"In the Palace," Gadget explained, "he did some observation work for our case."

"So your case will take place inside Versailles Palace?"

Unsure whether Todd's curiosity might be dangerous for the case, Gadget decided to ask Chip what they shall do with him. "Um, Todd, will you excuse me for a second?"

"Sure."

Gadget went over to Chip who did some final work on the conference tent. She spoke silently when she asked him, "Chip, what do you think, can we trust him far enough to tell him?"

"I can help you guys find your way through that building if you wanna go in," Todd shouted. "I've been in there several times."

"Sounds like we've hardly got any choice," Chip whispered back to Gadget and then addressed to Todd, "Okay, come here. When what you say is true, we might need your help. Everyone else come here, too, team conference."

* * *


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Insider

The nine Rescue Rangers gathered in the biggest of the three tents, and Todd joined them. He was not little excited about being able to help the legendary rescuing and crime-fighting team from the East Coast, and that even in his hometown. In fact, helping other animals in real life was already something unusual and exciting to him. While the Rangers sat down around a table, Todd remained standing.

As the leader, Chip opened the conference. "Everyone here? Good. First, as you may have noticed, we've got a guest. Rescue Rangers, this is Todd. Todd, these are the Rescue Rangers. I take it you've figured that I'm Chip, and you've met Gadget and Sparky as I've seen. So, here are the other original Rangers," he indicated the members one by one, "Dale, Monterey Jack, and Zipper. And apart from Sparky, the new members are Foxglove, Tammy, and Gadget's twin sister LaWahini."

Todd was a bit overwhelmed. "Um, nice to meet you all. And thank you for letting me join your team meeting."

"Oh, we might have to thank you later on. But let's first hear what Zipper found out."

Zipper flew and landed in the middle of the table and recounted what he had witnessed, and Monty repeated what he said for those who had difficulties understanding him. "Zipper says we can be glad that checkin' in to the Versailles Palace 'otel takes ferever, otherwise 'e wouldn't've caught our two crooks in time. ... Now comes the interestin' part. The gems won't be 'anded out ta Nimnul before the day after tamorrow, Zipper says 'e 'asn't found out why. Instead, they've been carried inta the Palace's own vault in the basement an' locked away safely."

"Which locker number?" Todd demanded. A few Rangers turned their heads.

Zipper answered, and Monty translated his words. "305."

"Ah, I think I know where in the vault that one is."

Now all Rangers turned their heads. Was he just posing or telling the truth? "Todd," Chip asked, "you know the vault? Have you been down there?"

"I've been down there when it was built, yes, but no more since it's in use."

"Now you've got us curious. Please tell us more."

"I'd love to, but it'd be a long story. How much time do you have?"

"More than enough. We can't act right now anyway."

"Well," Todd started, "to understand what I've got to tell you, I need to go all the way back to my childhood and indeed tell you the story of my life. I was born and raised in the back rooms of a pet shop in some small town here in Nevada. I take it you know that white mice who grow up under such circumstances usually don't have a bright future to look forward to. Some of us end up in laboratories, some of us even only serve as reptile food. I never found out what happened to all my brothers and sisters and the other white mice sold in that shop. Rumors were going around, we did know what fates might await us, sometimes other animals such as birds or other rodents came to an open window and told us what they had seen. Only a few of us were allowed to stay, mostly for the purpose of breeding new mice to sell. It was almost an industrial production of mice.

"Then one day eight years ago, I was almost grown up, this guy came past the shop and saw us mice in our cages in the window. I mean, what's the point in putting living lizard food on display? He stood and looked at us, and then he entered the shop. A typical human geek, that's what I'd describe him, and there are certainly not few geeks who've got fancy pets that live on rodents. So he asked the clerk if he could buy a mouse." Todd chuckled. "It sorta sounded as if he was in a computer shop. You know, 'Which brand, optical or with a ball, wireless or not, how many buttons,' all that. Anyway, the clerk led him to us and had him choose one, and he chose me.

"I'll never forget the sad look in my parents' eyes when the clerk scooped me up and took me out of the cage. I was their fourth child to be sold. The clerk asked that guy whether he wanted a small cage to carry me. No, he said, he wanted to carry me like this, with no cage. First I wondered why, did he really wanna save that handful of dollars a cage would cost, did he have his hungry anaconda in his car parked around the corner, or what was going on? Then he opened his hand. He wanted to hold me. After he had flipped out the few bucks I cost, not quite enough for my self-confidence as I may add, the clerk put me onto his hand. I was his now. He slowly heaved me up and smiled at me. I ask you folks, what do you think, how many humans smile at their pet food, or at a defenseless little rodent they're gonna perform gruesome experiments on? I just sat still on his hand, and he stroked me a few times before he placed me onto his shoulder. I'll never forget his words. 'Now we just need a name for that little guy.' I already had a name then, but humans usually don't care. Neither did I then, at least not for our animal conventions, and so I stood up and whispered the name my parents gave me into his ear. Of course, he did not take into consideration that I could speak, but still that name went into his mind. A moment of thinking later, he took me off his shoulder, gave me another smile, and said, 'Todd. Do you like that name, little friend?' I almost told him that I've heard cooler names, but that it's okay, because it's mine.

"This guy did buy a cage then. But it was so big and comfy that I could expect enjoying my life in it rather than just being locked away and kept from escaping, and so expensive with all its accessories that I could expect not being sacrificed for whatever lethal purpose. To put it in a nutshell, I was saved. My parents were sad that I had to go, but glad that my life was to go on in a nice home. My owner lived a few blocks away, and he walked all the way there, my cage in one hand and me in the other. The reactions of the other humans who saw us were kinda funny, especially those of the females. Some screamed in panic, others found me cute and asked if they could pet me. I enjoyed the attention and being referred to as cute.

"When we arrived at his compartment, I realized why he had bought me, and what sort of guy that was. He gave the appearance of your standard geek at the pet shop, but he was living the life of a downright nerd. Computers, probably computer parts to build more computers from, electronics, books about all this, standard sci-fi literature, used coffee cups and empty cans that used to contain caffeinated beverages, it was a wonder that he had some free space for my cage. It's not that I had a bad life with him, he cared for me really well. But he didn't care as well for himself, I actually felt pity for him. Especially after a couple of days. He was a home worker, that is, he spent his working time at his home computer. And he spent most of his spare time there, too. He let me move freely on his computer desk, and so I could see what he was doing. He was a member of a few message boards, he contributed to the Usenet, but he had no social contacts in real life at all. He was such a recluse that I was his only friend on this side of the screen!

"Then came the day when I couldn't stand it anymore. I decided to break one of the few laws we animals have. The law of not talking when humans can hear us. He blabbed all over me all day long and got no response, that's not polite for someone's only friend, is it? I was outside the cage while he was gone shopping. So I grabbed a pencil and a Post-it, wrote on it—barely legible due to a lack of practice—that I've got a secret for him which I'll tell him if he promises to keep it to himself, and slapped that thing onto his screen where he could easily find it. He came back, stored the groceries, shoved a pizza into the microwave, and took his place in front of his computer where he found my note. I walked up to underneath the screen in expectation of his reaction. At first, he was stunned when he learned that his pet mouse could write. Then he asked me what my secret was and declared he'd never tell anyone if I didn't want him to, neither in real life nor online. And then I spoke to my human owner.

"I said my secret is that I can speak, that most animals can speak like me and like him. First he just sat and stared in awe, then he burst out laughing. He told me later that finally having a friend to talk with was a great relief for him. So we sat and talked and talked. He told me his name is Chris. I said that I figured it from some of his screen names, and that my name has always been Todd and where he got the idea from. We also talked about social things, even though we both lacked experience in them. He had the idea of finally finding a real girl by carrying me around outside, not because I can talk, but because I'm cute and fuzzy and all that. But I asked him whether he wanted a girl who truly loved him or one who just loved his pet mouse."

"Excuse me," Chip interrupted him, "that's all very nice, but what does it have to do with our case?"

"Okay," Todd, "I got carried away a bit. But you've requested it, now comes the exciting part. Chris asked me if I knew what he was working on. I said, yes, it's a security system for a bank or so. An utterly overdone one no less, not to mention inspired by quite a number of movies we had watched together, heist movies and such. He corrected me in two points, one being that it was for a casino in Las Vegas," Todd pointed out of the tent, "that one out there, and the other being that you can't overdo a security system. But he confessed that he had been inspired by those movies. According to him, combining all these ideas would let this system turn a vault into a fortress superior to Fort Knox, even without guards. Yet, he had planned to integrate guards into that system to reinforce it even further. Even if someone knew all those movies by heart, he'd still be unable to get in there."

"What a pity. We need to get into the vault and get something out of it."

"You mean... the Rescue Rangers are gonna turn into burglars and steal someone else's property?"

"Yes, but not from that someone else. Actually," Chip explained, "it had been stolen before, and we're gonna steal it to bring it back to its legal owner."

"Not to mention," Gadget added, "to prevent whatever a mad scientist such as Norton Nimnul wants to do with a set of 14 different gems. I can imagine a whole lot of potentially evil purposes for them. Remember what he did with one single ruby."

"But now we might have to wait until that Greatest Thief in the World gets them back out of the vault," Chip worried.

"Not necessarily," Todd said. "That rule of not being able to intrude mostly applies to humans. As far as I've seen the whole concept, it could be possible for rodents and other small animals to get in, and your casework experience might be helpful. Now all we need is someone who knows movies such as Mission: Impossible by heart. Not to mention a whole number of classic and modern heist movies."

Eight Rangers synchronously pointed at Dale.

"What?" he almost apologized. "Didja think I'll stick with nothin' but horror B-movies forever? Preferences change."

Tammy snickered. "Yeah, Foxy's preferences for certain human actors, for instance. Right, bat girl?"

"Oh, shush, Tammy! Or shall I tell everyone which human movie stars bring you close to melting away into a puddle on the couch? You know," Foxglove mimed exclamation marks with her thumb claws, "those certain little secrets? Besides, no matter how good an actor or a movie character is, my cute stuff is the real stuff."

Chip slapped his forehead. "I can't believe it. I can't believe that Dale's movie addiction will serve us on a case. Again. Can we please get back to the case now, ladies?"

"Whatever you wish, Chip," Foxglove and Tammy said in unison.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome!" came as the answer, again in unison.

Chip sighed and tried to find back to the original topic. "So, where were we?"

Todd reminded him, "You told me you wanted to get into the vault, and I told you that some movie knowledge would make things a lot easier."

"Ah, yes. So you say you can lead us to down there and help us into that fortress of steel and concrete?"

"I can help you with the vault, yes," Todd answered, "but I'm afraid I don't know the way down to it. It has most probably changed since the building was completed."

That wasn't what Chip expected to hear. "Great, this makes our combined burglary skills worthless. It'd take forever to find a way into the vault, and we haven't got that much time."

"It doesn't. I know someone who lives in the Palace and spends a lot of time in there. It's not unlikely that she knows the way."

"A human again?" Chip asked.

"No, I've only ever talked to one human. Besides, if she were human, how could she show you the rodent alleyways in that building?"

"She's not a cat either, or is she?" Monty requested his fears to be denied.

"Don't worry, Monterey, she is a rodent. But I'll have to go and ask her if she can spare some time for you." Todd's voice didn't conceal well that he felt uneasy about doing that. "She's, well, she's in the showbiz."

"Wowie-zowie," Dale expressed his amazement, "she's a singer or a dancer? I bet she's a pretty big star!"

Todd explained, "She's a singer. Mostly. She..." he fumbled on his collar nervously, "...also dances occasionally. And yes, she... is a star. So if you want to meet her... I gotta go now." He stood up and moved towards the exit.

"Sure we want to meet her, Todd," Chip confirmed. "Go ask her, maybe she can provide us with some help."

"Well, then... see you later, Rescue Rangers." With these words, and with no gest at all, Todd left the tent.

Gadget watched him go, waited until he was out of hearing range and took the city noises into consideration before she said, "Golly, did anyone notice how nervous he was when he talked about that singer?"

"Yes," Tammy answered, "one could almost see the steam rise from around his neck. Maybe he's an obsessed fan."

Chip shook his head. "I don't think so, Tammy. Dale was obsessed with so many heroes and stars, be it the Red Badger of Courage, be it Flash, but he never showed anything like this. Besides, if he was obsessed, that star would never let him anywhere near her as soon as she finds out."

"Y've 'eard what 'e said, Chipper," Monty pointed out, "she's a lass. An' probably a gorgeous one no less. Remember, we're in Vegas. There's no place fer a li'l country mouse from Alabama an' 'er six-string."

"Would you go all mental about a female superstar, darling?" Foxglove asked Dale. Nuzzling his cheek, she added, "For if you did, I'd get very, very jealous."

Gadget cracked a smile and took Chip's hand. "My Chip is above such behavior. Right?"

Chip wasn't too sure if Gadget was right. Something was trying to fight its way from his memory back into his mind, and he felt like it had to do with the case, maybe even with Todd, despite them having never met before. He cleared his throat and tried not to give a definite answer. "Anyway, I say we'll meet this singer if we get a chance. But we'd better stay cautious when we're there. As long as we don't know what to expect, we have to expect everything."

* * *


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: A Gorgeous Girl In A Glittering Gown

The late morning's sunlight flooded in through a long row of windows. It illuminated an apartment in the Versailles Palace which gave a new meaning to the term 'spacy', even if only by rodent measures. The furniture almost seemed lost in the giant living-room. There were two sofas and a handful of armchairs around a round black table which used to be a Frank Sinatra 12". Along the walls, there were wardrobe-like closets with glass doors which contained one dress each, all of them designed to be worn on stage. Furthermore, there were photographs and rodent newspaper pages framed and hung up on the walls, all of which showed one and the same chipmunk.

Said small animal was there, too. Wearing a kimono-style bathrobe made of shiny, dark blue silk, she sat in front of a pearl-white concert grand piano. From time to time, she played something on it and hummed along. She avoided singing any lyrics, though.

Unseen and unheard by her, an armadillo dressed in a white shirt and an old-fashioned black swallow-tail coat entered the room. The door through which he stepped was high enough for him, but luxuriously tall for chipmunk standards, as were all doors in the apartment. "I've got my doubts that playing your old songs over and over again will solve your problem, Miss," he spoke.

The chipmunk stopped playing immediately and turned around on the piano stool. "Mandy! Don't sneak upon me like this! I never know when you can hear me play that way."

"You play wonderfully, Miss."

"Not nearly half as good as you, Mandy."

The armadillo sat down next to the chipmunk, hiding some of his height advantage as he was almost twice as tall as her. "What I wanted to say is if you're looking for your future repertoire, you should quit clinging to your past and look ahead. Or go outside, take a stroll, enjoy the weather. I'm sure you'll get some inspiration then."

"I can't go out there. Everybody knows me out there. They'd just stop me and question me when I'll launch a new show. And they expect it to outshine everything I ever did. Again. How inspiring can that be?" She adjusted herself back to the keyboard. "No more ideas from you, Mandy?"

"It's your show, Miss. You're the singer, and thus the center of attention. I can't provide you with much more than my piano playing. Most of the composing, writing, and arranging was done by you as well. I can't help you out that much."

"But how am I supposed to put together a show that's greater than the Chipmunk Divine? How am I supposed to compose the future when the sounds of the future are lost in the past? It's never been the same since our synth man quit. The mélange of the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra with electronic sounds and beats was perfect." The chipmunk lady hit an augmented 7th chord on the piano. "Mandy, we could've performed that show forever! There'll never be a second Chipmunk Divine. And the original one will never return."

"What about the songs these two spiders sent you from New York City? Andrew & Lloyd?"

"Mandy, I told them once, I told them twice, and I'm tired of telling them yet once more. This is not the Broadway, and I'm not doing musicals! Besides, if I wanted to perform what someone else wrote, I'd do nothing but cover versions like I always did to spice up the set list. Tell the Cobwebbers they can look for someone else to play their stuff. I'm not interested, and I'm certainly not that desperate."

"But you have already written something, haven't you?"

"Four songs. Not one big hit among them. They're rather something for somewhere in the middle when the expectations aren't too high. So what, shall I fill up the rest of the evening with cover songs?"

"And our older, pre-Chipmunk Divine material?"

"Nah. I can't warm up something I did more than three years ago. Mixing songs from various shows to a best-of wouldn't cause anything else than pity within my audience either." She got up and walked around in the room. "Can it be so hard to find a rodent who plays some electronic instruments?"

Playing a matching tune on the piano, the armadillo replied, "You're still counting on a wonder to happen, Miss. Apparently, you expect our synth guy to return, for I suppose you know that it's impossible to find someone—"

The sound of an electronic door bell interrupted him.

"A visitor?" the chipmunk wondered. "Who can that be? Mandy, please go and have a look, and if it happens to be impatient fans or gossip reporters, get rid of them."

"Sure, Miss."

The armadillo left the living-room and headed for the entrance door. Opening it, he found a white-furred mouse in a light blue shirt standing in the hall. "Good morning, Armando," the mouse greeted shyly.

"You?!" Armando shouted out loud, expressing his surprise. "What drove you back here?"

"Um... is she here?"

"She's always here, Todd. She hardly ever leaves her apartment since she had to cancel the show."

"She did what? Why?!"

"Oh, stupid, stupid boy. How do you think she should've continued the Chipmunk Divine without you? You yanked out one of the pillars that carried the show, and the entire thing collapsed. So what do you want?"

"Armando, first let me tell you I'm sorry, honestly... for what happened... but I felt I couldn't go on, I already told you that. And as for your question... I need her help."

"You need her help?" Armando was unable to hold a laugh attack back. "You need her help! You run away, ruin her show, take her out of business for half a year, and now you come creeping back and say you need her help. Any idea what sounds wrong with this, Todd?"

"Step aside, Mandy, and let him in." There she was. Todd hadn't seen her for the six months Armando had mentioned. And now there she was, standing in the doorway behind the armadillo, the sunlight glistening on her silk robe and outlining her figure.

Todd's heart missed a beat. This sight stole the ability to speak from him. "Nice to see you're back, Todd," she said in a friendly, almost joyful tone, and, "Come on in." He couldn't see the smile in her face, he saw hardly more than her silhouette in the bright doorway, but he could hear it in the way she spoke.

Slowly and still a bit shyly, he moved forward and into her place. When he passed the doorway in which she stood, she gently took his arm and led him to one of the sofas. He felt as though his fur and skin were burning where she touched him.

"So, Todd," she said as they sat down, "you said you need my help?"

"Yes... see, I met some... well, visitors, and they need a guide for the palace. I thought you know this building pretty well, and..."

"I do, yes. This knowledge served me well in so many situations when I had to escape from fans, for instance." She leaned back and enjoyed memories of past shows.

"Do you know how to get down to the vault?"

"I know how to get everywh... The vault?" she suddenly shouted out and sat upright. "Todd! I'd expect a lot from you, but not that you're being tricked into helping in a burglary! Plus, it's impossible to get into the vault. What happened to you in that half year?"

"Please calm down, I can explain everything. Yes, I'm helping them in a burglary. But no, it's not a crime, they want to steal something back that's already stolen. And no, it's not impossible to get into the vault. Not for small animals, even less with my help, and a lot less with your help, too."

She sat up. "But who'd wanna do that, Todd? They must appear very trustworthy if they got you to help them. Who are they?"

"Have you ever heard about the... Rescue Rangers?"

"Rescue Rangers?" Her eyes widened.

"From New York City. Do you know them?"

She jumped up, pronounced a brief, "Excuse me for a minute," and disappeared into her bedroom.

'The Rescue Rangers... here in Las Vegas...' She pulled out a matchbox from underneath her large bed and opened it. It was filled with some clippings from rodent newspapers and a very few from human newspapers, articles about old Ranger cases. The Rangers had always left the scenes before the reporters were there, only few had ever met them. She went through this one article from the Baltimore Nutshell once again. 'They made it into NIMH's laboratories, defeated five guard dogs, liberated 71 mice, and got back out again, all within less than an hour, in the darkness of the night, and despite the presence of five guard dogs... Except the open cages and the five unconscious dogs, they managed to not leave any trace, not even wherever they passed through when they went inside... Not to mention they knocked five large dogs out... and brought one of the mice to a hospital in Philly the same night... With Todd's help, they might really be able to get into the vault...'

Again, like so many times before, she read the names of the Rangers which were mentioned in a few rodent newspaper articles. 'Charles Maplewood... Dale Oakmont... Charles... Dale... and they're chipmunks...' She laid the clipping back into the matchbox. 'I don't believe in such coincidences, even if I'm willing to be taught otherwise. I must see them. But I'd like to take some advantage of Todd's presence myself...'

The door to her bedroom opened again, and Todd saw her return. "Okay, I'll do it. It must be mighty important if they travel all the way here to break into one of the safest vaults ever built. But," she added as she sat down next to her guest again, "I'd like you to do something for me in return."

"Whatever you want. I guess you wouldn't expect anything from me that I can't do."

"Don't worry, it's not something you've never done before. Todd, please play the Chipmunk Divine once more. One whole show. With my orchestra and me."

The Chipmunk Divine. Back on stage with her. Todd had to swallow hard. She stared at him with begging eyes. "Please. Pretty please. Grant our visitors a bit of Las Vegas entertainment. And let me do my beloved show again."

He had to admit that this price wasn't easy for him to pay. It was hard to resist her eyes and the way she looked at him. He hadn't seen her for half a year, but her feelings for him were still as present as they used to be. He had only just arrived a few minutes ago, and she wasn't made up for the stage, but he felt his tongue would jam if he even tried to pronounce her name. Still, he had no choice, there was no other way for him than join the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra for one more night and get his obsession under control as well as he could.

"Todd," she spoke again. "I don't blame you for ruining my career or something like that, believe me. Even though you never told me why exactly you left. I guess I needed a rest, too. And you're welcome in my orchestra anytime. So, are you in?"

"Okay." A part of him actually missed the stage, the feeling of performing in front of a huge audience and for that very special chipmunk lady who suddenly fell into his arms in a big hug. "Thank you," she said, "thank you." A part of him wished she didn't do that. Another part wished the hug would never end.

"Thank you for helping me bring my show back," she repeated herself as she let go of him again. "Would you mind if we perform tonight already?"

"No, I'm fine with that."

"And I'm glad you decided that way, Todd. Mandy!" she called the armadillo who then came in from the kitchen.

"Miss?"

"Guess what? The Chipmunk Divine is back! For only one night, but it's back!"

"Really?"

"Really! But we still need the orchestra. Can you get them back? You said you know where they spend most of their time. Rehearsals shall start at 2 pm."

"I'll do my best. I guess I'd better hurry up then."

Armando was about to leave when the chipmunk singer had him stop. "Wait. One more thing. I've got a better idea. You don't have to look for all of them. Todd, do you know where Melissa lives?"

Melissa Mayfield. Todd remembered the half-Japanese mouse very well. She played solo violin in the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra, and she played it excellently. And of all members of the orchestra, she was without a doubt one of the nicest. She smiled a lot, especially at him, as if his very sight was reason enough for her to smile. One day, she played her violin just for him on his birthday, and on later occasions, too, even if it was not his birthday or anything else to celebrate. He could actually not remember her having done that for anyone else. On the other hand, he could not imagine a reason why she did it all for him. She was not only one of the best rodent violin players in the world, she was also one of the most beautiful mice he had ever seen. He, however, was nothing but a pale computer nerd whose social skills were hardly sufficient for playing in an orchestra.

"Yes... I think I know."

"Good. Here are your tasks for right now. Go back to the Rescue Rangers, take them on a sight-seeing tour around the city, have lunch with them if you want to, show them where to get something more elegant to wear for tonight..."

"Something elegant? For a burglary? Excuse me, but..."

"Not for the burglary. They must see the Chipmunk Divine! I want them to see the Chipmunk Divine! They'd miss something if they didn't see the Chipmunk Divine! Tell them to come to the music hall before 8 pm, I'll have four first row seats reserved for them. And I'll meet them after the show."

"Eight seats," Todd corrected her. "They've got some additional members since last year."

"Eight then. It's okay, the more audience, the merrier. Anyway, your most important task is to go and see Melissa and ask her to come to the rehearsals. Oh, and don't forget to bring your computer thingy."

"I promise you I won't."

Todd got up and was about to leave the apartment together with Armando when they were stopped. "Wait, you two. Can you... spread the word that the show's back for tonight? As I said, the more audience, the merrier."

"Sure," Armando approved, "we'll do that, too. Right, Todd?"

"Right, Armando." Todd didn't know what he felt so eager to do. Maybe it was because he was helping the Rangers. He wasn't sure if it could also be performing the show again. But he felt rather sure that it wasn't meeting Melissa. He couldn't enjoy what appeared as her appreciation for him as long as there was no way to explain the way she treated him. At least so he supposed.

* * *


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Plans For The Day

"Have you met her?" Chip asked Todd who had just returned to the conference tent.

"Yes, we've talked."

"And what did she say?"

"Looks good so far, I can say so much. She'll tell you more later today."

"How much later?" Chip inquired. "We haven't got time forever."

"She'd like you to see her show tonight at 8 pm and meet you when it's over. You know, I believe the main reason why she's willing to help you guys is that she might know you. At least I suspect that."

"See, Chip?" Dale commented. "We're famous."

"Dale," Chip said, "that doesn't mean much. There are many even in the rescue business who have never heard of us. By the way, do we know her? Todd, you haven't told us who that singer is."

Todd hesitated for a moment to think about what to say, then he replied evasively, "Surprise. Just so much, you won't be disappointed. And I would wonder if you hadn't ever heard of her."

"Listen, Todd," Chip's tone turned more serious, "how are we supposed to judge whether we can trust her if we don't know whom we'll have to deal with?"

"Don't worry," Todd tried to calm Chip down, "you can trust her. As I already said, she knows us."

"So do our many enemies. But I see that expecting you to tell us her name is pointless. Or is it?"

Gadget noticed Todd's uneasiness about Chip's questioning and the singer's name. "Todd," she asked him calmly, "would you at least explain why you don't want to tell us her name?"

Todd suddenly looked into nine faces, each of them expressing their curiosity. He knew he had to tell the Rangers things he normally would even keep to himself in the anonymous vastness of the Internet. Things he probably wouldn't tell his own friends if he had any. "I can't," he finally spoke. "I just can't."

"But why not?" Gadget asked again.

"I can't. I-I'm too obsessed with her." A minute ago, he was unwilling to talk about it, now the words started pouring out of him. "Yes, I'm obsessed. I can't say her name, I can't write her name, and I have to fear for my health and sanity if I even read or hear her name."

"So you're a fan?" Tammy asked. "I wonder how she's willing to meet a fan as obsessive as you."

"I'm not a fan," Todd answered, "I used to be in her orchestra. It all began five years ago. The Versailles Palace was completed, the vault security up and running, and Chris was looking for a new job. Then things happened quickly, and they were just as hard to believe. He had somehow met a girl when he was still working on the vault, you know, supervising the installation, test runs, and all that. She was a programmer, too. I still can't believe it. They fell in love with each other, I mean, there was a girl who did fall in love with my Chris! To cut a long story short, they established a relationship, found jobs in California, but Chris couldn't take me with him. He said they'd never accept a mouse running around in his new living-place, and he would not work at home anymore. So we had to say goodbye. His girl, by the way, never found out about the 'speaking mouse,' I think.

"Well, Chris left me behind with my belongings which included my own PDA. It was still quite new, and it had some awesome multimedia features, at least awesome for that time, you know how fast things develop in this field of technology. Anyway, after he had moved out, his phone line was still alive for a few days, and I happened to have a modem matching my PDA, so I managed to get it connected and went looking for a way to stay online. I talked with Mouseo who went online using an old PDA built by a big computer company, a model that's quite big over in Boston. I think he's still using that thing, as are many other rodents at that place. Mouseo gave me hints about a rat here in Vegas who cracks discarded SIM cards and such. You know, humans are strange, not only do they need a new cell phone every one or two years to have the newest and fanciest one, which is why many of us have cell phones, too, they also need new SIM cards every so often. The old ones are being carelessly thrown away, working order or not. Which means they wouldn't care if they found out that we rodents take them.

"Anyway, I met this rat, but as I had no use for a SIM card, neither in my PDA nor in my modem, he offered me to help install a phone line, but that required a place for me to live. Well, since I was already in Vegas, I thought, why not stay here and try to make something out of my life? The rat helped me find a living-place and set up my connection. But I decided I didn't want to end up like Chris would if he hadn't met first me and then that girl, spending all day and most of the night surrounded by running electronic devices and more in a virtual life than in the real one. I had experimented with music software on the PDA, even written my own stuff which isn't easy without a keyboard like on human computers, but it worked quite well. So I decided to go the musical way. I built a pair of speakers out of wrecked human headphones and discovered some music software written by rodents for rodents.

"One day, some four years ago, while I was playing some music, someone knocked at my door. I opened, and there stood this gorgeous chipmunk woman with an armadillo by her side. She said she was a show singer which I first couldn't believe but later found out that it was the truth. She had heard me play and asked me if I was interested in playing in her orchestra. I mean, you can usually hardly hear anything outside where I live, I must've played really loud, and I guess I have. According to her, it was a waste of talent that I played in my mouse hole just for myself. My synthesizer sounds were what she was looking for. Okay, I said, I'll try it. To my surprise, we went straight to the Versailles Palace where she performed in a large theater under one of the human theater halls. And there I was, just a few weeks later, the core of her brand-new show which became the most successful piece of rodent entertainment in Vegas ever. We worked together a lot, she comprehended more and more what I was able to do with my PDA and my assorted synth software, and we found some ways of weaving electronic and orchestral sounds together to form that new show.

"Pretty soon, I saw her every day at the rehearsals, every night on stage, and whenever there was work to do on the show itself, she came to me, too, as only I could decide anything about the electronic parts. You might say I should be glad. Well, I was at first, but by and by, it grew too much. I literally got an overload of her. I believe, first it was simply love, but it grew into an obsession and harder and harder to control. I concentrated as well as I could and sorta channeled the energy from my obsession into my playing, but it got too much to take even then. I only saw two possible solutions, either slowly but inevitably go insane—or quit. I chose the latter, even if it meant the end for her show, but the former would have meant the end for my sanity."

After Todd had finished telling the second part of his life's history, the Rangers waited for him to continue for a few seconds. The silence was broken by Tammy. "Todd, why didn't you simply go and tell her how you feel?"

Todd sighed. "Yeah, right. As if I had a chance. Do you really believe a glamorous show star like her might be interested in a nerd like me? Sure, she's friendly most of the time, sometimes even a bit flirtatious, but that's part of her style. Besides, she's almost fifteen years older than me. No, what I did was the best I could do."

"The best you could do was go and ruin her show?" Gadget expressed her disbelief.

"Gadget," Chip explained, "according to what he said, he'd be nuts by today if he hadn't taken that step. You've heard it, he feels she's out of reach for him. And if it took us sixteen years of dating, I don't think he'd succeed much faster with his attitude."

"So you think I should ask her for a date, Chip?" Todd asked.

Chip put a hand upon Todd's shoulder. "Todd, it's your decision. Do what you believe is right. I don't know enough about her to come up with a plan for you. And I'm just a Rescue Ranger, not a love doctor or such. Talking about plans, any plans for today? That is, before the entertainment part?"

"I'd like to have lunch with you guys somewhere," Todd suggested. "If you don't mind, of course. It'd be a great honor for me."

Monty's ears perked up. "Lunch? Bonzer idea, mate! I take it ya know all the great places 'round town, right?"

"Well, yes, I do know a handful of restaurants we can go to. But we shouldn't lose too much time, I need to get my PDA, I've been ordered to ask an orchestra member to come to the rehearsals, and, of course, I'm expected to be at the rehearsals in time, too. They shall start at 2 pm. So time is a bit tight."

"Not necessarily. We've got aircraft, we could take these," Chip suggested. "And you, Todd, are hereby invited to fly with us."

"Fly with you? Really?"

"Really. Or did you think we let you walk all the way? After all, you're part of the team on this case, and we owe you for helping us. Alright, we've got three destinations. Lunch, your place, and that musician, do you know where he can be found?"

"She," Todd emphasized Melissa's gender, "lives near an artificial pond not so far from where I live. We can pick her up when we fly back from lunch."

"We can also pick her up after we've been at your place and gotten your PDA," Gadget suggested, "so she can join us at lunch if she likes to."

Chip remarked, "We'd better not talk about the case, though, as long as she's around. I don't want to involve too many people in it."

Todd knew exactly into which direction this was about to go. The Rangers didn't know Melissa, he hadn't even told them her name yet. And still, they gave him the same impression of matchmaking he had experienced with his "boss" several times. Although she was a nice and pretty girl, she was so much more than he deserved that he desperately searched the city map in his mind for a rodent restaurant or café or the like between his and Melissa's places. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of any. Lying to the Rangers and leading them to a restaurant far away from the direct way was out of question, too, as they were too clever.

The next solution which came to his mind was that the Rangers might need something appropriate to wear at the show. Maybe he could send them onto a detour to a nice clothes store. "Say, you'd certainly want to dress up for the show tonight. I can recommend a couple of places where you can get what you need."

"Thanks for the offer, Todd," Chip said, "but we've brought everything we need, including suits and dresses."

This didn't work either. Todd was about to find another plan when a part of his mind asked him why he wanted to take such an effort just not to have lunch with Melissa and give the potential matchmakers a chance that he was about to panic any moment. He should rather be happy about the chance that was given to him, the chance to share his lunch time with her, than try to convince himself of how awfully wrong and blatantly staged this appeared. So he just took a deep breath and expressed a form of relief he did actually not experience. "Fine, that saves us more time."

Satisfied with the plans so far, Chip got up. "Well, then let's go, we've got a lot to do, and time's running away. Todd, you can fly in the Rangerplane together with Monty, Dale, and Foxy."

"Thank you, Chip," Todd accepted the offer.

As he and the Rangers left the tent and boarded the two aircraft, Gadget stopped and asked, "Chip, do you think we should leave our Field Headquarters here unguarded?"

"What shall happen, Gadget? Everything's hidden well here in the bushes. And our only potential enemies here are two humans who'd never search for our stuff, let alone find it. Believe me, no-one else who knows us is here."

"You're right, Chip, but I do prefer a certain amount of safety." Gadget jumped out of the Rangerwing and disappeared in the females' tent. For a moment, those who watched and knew her asked themselves what she was about to do to booby-trap the Field Headquarters. But when she came out again, she carried three small locks, the sort which usually saved human diaries from unwanted access, and secured the three tents with them. Afterwards, she pushed the locks under the tents to render them mostly invisible. "There," she said with a smile as she got back to her seat in the Rangerwing, "this should make things a lot harder for burglars. Simply taking the tents apart would mean too much effort for them anyway, they're rock solid."

Chip smiled and praised, "Gadget, you surprise me again and again, no matter how long we know each other."

"That's just because we use the mobile Field Headquarters so rarely. Everybody ready for take-off?"

The other Rangers plus Todd raised their thumbs.

* * *


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Private Performance

Behind a large warehouse, one of the sorts which catering companies used as a storage, was where Todd lived. The entrance was hard to spot, it was basically a hole in the ground right next to the northern warehouse wall. Todd's place itself was entirely hidden below the surface, dug out of the compressed desert sand by a much larger animal, so it was large enough for him to have objects inside of it which were a lot bigger than him. For the same reason, the entrance tunnel was notably oversized for a mouse's needs, too, and although it was built with a downward slope, its floor was even and lacking stairs.

As he was on his way down the tunnel, Todd took a glance over his shoulder, for what was going on sill went beyond his imagination, and he felt he needed another proof that it was real. Outside, in the shadow of the warehouse, the Rangerplane and the Rangerwing were parked, and the Rescue Rangers themselves were following him into his humble living-place.

He quickly cast another glance and saw Gadget walking right behind him and smiling at him. "Don't worry, Todd, we're still there," she said.

"I know, I know," he answered. "It's just... unreal. The Rescue Rangers at my place. Incredible."

"Golly, we're not a product of your imagination, Todd. We're as real as you."

Chip added, "Remember we're on a case together. How real does that make us?"

Todd stopped and turned around. "You got me, Rangers." He raised both hands as if to praise them. "I believe! I want to believe in you!" Dale and the girls giggled, and Zipper flew around him several times to see that sight from all sides.

The team of small animals soon reached the deepest part of the tunnel where a fine stainless steel girder covered a hole in the floor. "I've installed this drain to keep rain water from flooding my place," Todd explained. "It doesn't rain often here, but that doesn't mean it never rains. And while the hare who lived here before me said she appreciated the occasional flushing, and it helped her keeping the place clean, I prefer my stuff dry."

He then led the Rangers the couple of inches up to the door which he had installed, too. A rubber sealing helped keep dust and water out. Causing a slight plop sound, he opened the door and motioned the Rangers to enter.

So they did and found themselves in a main room with only sparse furniture which, unlike the place it was in, matched a mouse's size rather than a hare's. A few shelves could be found standing along the walls. To the left, there was a table mostly consisting of an empty thread spool. There were also two wooden stools, much like human ones. Todd had gotten himself two of them in the rare case of someone visiting him. But he had quickly lost his belief in this ever happening when it never happened, so he usually placed all sorts of things upon one of them when he found no other place for them. Now that he did have visitors, a half-open matchbox full of paper occupied one stool.

Apart from the entrance door, three doors led to other rooms. They were all closed, so whatever was behind them remained hidden. Electricity was available, tapped from the warehouse, and fed devices from the lights on the ceiling making up for the lack of windows to a large wall plug which in turn was connected to a handheld device, easily the largest item in the room, which was lying on a custom-made wooden stand with a pair of wheels under one end and a handle at the other. It was positioned near the wall to the right with its display turned upward. High-tech devices like this one were what caught Gadget's attention first. "Golly," she expressed her amazement, "this is the PDA you were talking about?" Her eyes wandered on and discovered a mouse-sized computer keyboard with wireless infrared connection and the modem Todd had spoken about earlier.

"Yes," Todd answered, "this is it."

The inventor mouse examined the stand from all sides. "And it can be tipped to the side on this stand. Here are the hinges, and..."

"Well, sometimes I need to see the display from farther away." Todd gave a demonstration by lifting what was originally designed to be the PDA's right, tilting it to the left, and locking it in a 45 degrees position. "Playing music, however, is easier when it's lying or tilted only slightly." He laid the small computer down again and started it up. After watching the boot sequence, he tapped his hand on an icon on the touch screen, and a program opened. The many buttons and sliders which appeared were probably too small for most humans and the pens delivered with these devices, but perfect for rodents. Besides, the whole user interface was rotated to be used from the left where the hinges of the stand were. On the same side, two virtual keyboards with 88 keys each appeared. White keys were three pixels wide, black keys only two pixels, so playing them with a pen was out of question. "Homebrew music workstation software," Todd explained with a bit of a smile. "It's amazing how much sample material fits onto a couple of years old flash memory cards, and how modern portable devices have grown powerful enough for multitimbral sample players and sequencer applications to run fluently."

Tammy didn't understand Todd's technobabble, but what she understood was that he had turned the small computer into an electronic musical instrument of sorts. "Todd," she asked, "would you play for us?"

Todd, who was about to rant on, stopped immediately and turned to her and the other Rangers.

"Please? Pretty please?"

He did have something to play, and having spent a lot of the previous few months' time rehearsing and programming, he would probably not disappoint his guests skill-wise. He even had a monitor system rigged up with broadband speakers salvaged from a pair of hi-fi headphones.

But there was still his shyness, he hadn't played for anyone for half a year, and even then he played in a large orchestra almost every time he played at all. "Well, I... don't know if we've got enough time..."

"We've got plenty of time," Chip said, "unless your PDA's system clock is all wrong."

Todd knew that he had no chance to escape. He let a few seconds pass without doing anything, just standing where he was. Then he turned back to his computer and began to operate the virtual buttons on the touch screen. A couple of displays appeared. He stepped aside and switched on the stereo amplifier. To the tech-savvier Rangers' surprise, there was only little noise on the speakers. Either that, or the volume was very low. Back on the PDA, he tapped onto a larger button on the screen, and watching a metronome of sorts, he slightly nodded his head.

In sync with his nodding, a sort of pattern played with a string-like sound came sounding from the speakers. Todd himself played additional lines to this sequence, and after he had gone through the famous theme itself, the program's sequencer launched electronic drums with, partly as a pattern, then again with matching fills, accompanied the fairly old piece of music in a modern yet matching way. The melody, if one could speak of one being present, struck some of the Rangers as known in some way, but as it was usually the case with instrumental music, finding the name proved to be difficult. "Monty," Chip asked, "I've heard this somewhere before. Do you know what it's called?"

"Crikey, Chip, that's the Night on Bald Mountain, composed by Modest Mussorgsky. Ya like it?"

Chip nodded, and apparently, he shared an opinion with his teammates.

The piece ended as abruptly as it was composed to. The orchestral wall of sound fell down within a second. All that was left was the nearly inaudible noise from the stereo speakers and the dark silhouette of the white mouse against the backlight of the touch screen. None of the Rangers dared say a word or make a noise for a short while. The silence was finally ended by a frantic applause.

Flattered by the audience's reactions on his solo performance, much of which was actually played by a multi-track sequencer rather than his own hands, Todd turned, bowed, and said, "Thanks for listening, Rescue Rangers, and for the applause. But I think we'd better leave again, there's a lot to do before I'll have to go to the rehearsals, and I'm getting hungry."

He hoped he could get the plans to be changed by giving hints for the second-next item on the list, lunch. It didn't work, though. "Alright," Chip said, "let's go and meet... what was her name?"

"Melissa..." Todd knew he had no chance against the Rescue Rangers.

"Right. Shall we help you with your computer?"

Before Todd was able to respond, Chip and Dale heaved the wooden stand with the handheld device on it up despite its wheels and headed for the entrance door, and quickly, the others went after them. Todd followed the Rangers on their way out, shutting the door behind him.

He wondered how they were going to transport the PDA and the stand to the palace. He watched Chip tie both components together with a long rope which in human scale would be a piece of thread, but that didn't give him any idea either. 'It's too large to fit into either of their aircraft. So how...'

"'ey mate," Monty who was winding up the Rangerplane's clockwork drive interrupted him. "Get on board, we're takin' off soon!"

"But my PDA..."

"Don't worry, pally, we'll take care o' yer 'igh-tech toy as soon as yer aboard."

Todd shrugged and climbed into the Rangerplane. The seats in the back were already taken by Dale and Foxglove, and the pilot's seat had to be Monty's, so he sat down on the right front seat.

"'ere I come," Monty shouted as he entered the Rangerplane, making the whole craft shake, and with the words, "An' 'ere we go," he unlocked the clockwork. The airship-like vehicle took off from the ground, and, to Todd's amazement, Monty steered it to the PDA and placed the suction cups on the ends of the landing gear onto the computer's screen. Soon, the small electronic device was airborne. Looking back past the tail fin, Todd watched the Rangerplane take off and follow.

"So, mate, where does that lass live?"

Todd was well aware that there was no way back now, and neither was there a way around. "First, we need to fly back to the Strip," he began to explain the way to Melissa.

* * *


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Melissa

The half-Asian mouse was standing on a flat stone on the edge of a pond which belonged to one of the many resort hotels. With her eyes closed, she played her violin. Nobody was there to listen, she played only for herself. The place where she stood shielded her from the noise of the passing traffic more than well enough. Her long black hair was flowing freely in the wind. Her white blouse shone in the midday sun and created a nice contrast to her hair and the long black pants she wore.

Todd pointed to the left. "That's the pond."

"An' that's the sheila, too, right?" Monty asked.

Todd took a closer look. Yes, he could see her by the small lake, only from behind and against the sunlight, but what he saw was enough to identify her. He felt a bit uneasy about Monty's flying, though. "Um, Monty... there's no need to land right behind her."

"Why not? I'm jes' savin' yer a walk." That, and something told the oldest and most experienced Ranger that Todd might have to be dragged to Melissa or at least waste a lot of time hesitating to go to her.

While still playing, Melissa noticed that the wind had grown unusually stronger and turned, all within a few seconds. Beside the sound of her violin, she thought she heard a clockwork, two electric motors, and a pair of suction cups detaching from a surface.

Todd slipped around nervously on his seat. There she was, and no way back for him. How would she react if she saw him? Maybe, he hoped, she hadn't noticed the arrival of the two aircraft behind her. One thing was sure, and that was that Monty wouldn't let him sit and stare and think forever. "C'mon, mate, go meet 'er!"

Todd had almost brought himself to getting up when Melissa turned around.

And she could barely believe what she saw. There were two strange objects mostly made of what humans had disposed of, both of which looked like they could fly. Aboard these things, there were several rodents of different species, one small bat, one housefly... and amidst this weird bunch of animals, there was someone who was familiar to her, who even was somehow special to her in a way she had never told anyone.

She couldn't suppress the smile appearing in her face. And even if she could, she wouldn't want to. As if her heart established a direct link to her mouth, she shouted out with joy, "Todd!"

She had seen him. She was smiling at him. She had called his name. Now it was his turn to take a step.

He started to move. He got up and climbed out of the strange contraption. Melissa's heart rate climbed from vivace to presto. Half a year had passed since she had seen him for the last time, much too long a timespan for her.

She didn't want to wait for him to come closer, she laid her violin into its tiny case without taking her eyes off of him, got up again, walked up to him, and before he knew for sure what was happening, she embraced him. It was a good feeling for her to hold him in her arms. Of course, it was him, and there was that long time of absence which had just ended. But apart from this, he had to support her. Her knees had gotten so wobbly that she could barely stand on her own feet. And she didn't want him to see the few tears running down her face. They were not only tears of joy, because no matter how much she felt for him, she was sure that he would never believe in her feelings or even return them.

Todd laid his hands on Melissa's back. That's what one does when being hugged, he remembered. He had gotten a lot of hugs from her when he was still in the orchestra, or at least he thought it qualified as a lot. While a part of him enjoyed the hug and all the attention and holding a cute mouse girl that close, his common sense told him it wasn't as right and real as it seemed. There was no way that someone like Melissa was interested in him. Yet it was a clever tactical move not to mention these doubts of his.

"Oh Todd, it's so wonderful that you're back!" Melissa expressed her joy. She let go of him, but only enough to leave her hands on his forearms. "Any particular reason why you're here?"

"Uh... orchestra rehearsal. 2 pm today," Todd replied a bit too briefly for Melissa's expectations. "I was sent to tell you." Then again, she could imagine who sent him and why.

"And who are these... friends of yours?" She paused halfway through what she said because she knew Todd too well to accept the thought of him making so many and so weird friends.

"Melissa, these are the Rescue Rangers, a rescuing and crime-fighting team from New York City. Do you know them?"

Knowing Todd and his sometimes strange ways, she didn't mind his first explaining who they are and then asking her if she knew them. "Remotely," she answered. Addressing the Rangers, she went on, "I've heard about you a couple of times, but we don't hear that much about what's going on outside Vegas, just a successful Rescue Aid Society case every once in a while. Say, the NIMH liberation last year, was that you or the RAS?"

"That was us," Chip said. "The RAS was involved, too, but they did only the observation part." His memories of that October night were still strong. Learning about Gadget's past in words soaked with tears, meeting her father Geegaw who had been proclaimed dead for two decades, almost ending as a guard dog's midnight snack like back when the Rangers were founded, freeing Gadget's mother and 70 more lab mice, and almost kissing Gadget twice, all this was still alive in his memory as if it had happened just a week ago.

"And what are you doing here now?" Melissa wanted to know. "Another case going on?"

Under no circumstances was she to find out about the case. "No," Chip lied, "we're on vacation. But, heh, you never know when you'll stumble upon your next case. All this glamor and glitter attracts a lot of criminals."

"I see. But how come you know Todd?"

"Well," Todd took over before Chip was able to respond, "I'm a fan of them. There, now you know it. I'm meeting other fans on the Internet regularly. So today I was taking a walk through town, I had nothing to do since I left the orchestra, and there they were."

"Wait. You wanna make me believe you met them, and they took you with them in their... airplane... things?"

"Yes... No..."

"He helped us," Gadget gave a rough explanation, "and now we're helping him back."

"We flew him to his place to get his stuff," LaWahini added, "and we brought him here to ask you something. Right, Tammy?" She reached out behind Sparky's back and poked the squirrel.

Todd realized what the Rangers or at least some of them were up to. He couldn't hide his unease, Melissa didn't even try to hide her affection, played or real, and the Rangers were trained in observation. "Yeah," Tammy said, "you know, we're getting a bit hungry..."

Todd looked at the Rangers one by one and back to the half-Japanese mouse girl smiling at him. 'Why do they do that to me? Is that their way of showing their thankfulness for me helping them on their case, having me make a fool out of myself?' "Alright. Melissa," he spoke although he knew the answer, "would you like to have lunch with us?"

"Why, yes, of course, Todd!" She was fully aware of the fact that Todd was more or less forced to ask her, but nevertheless, he did ask her. She had waited for him to invite her for almost as long as she knew him. "Where are we going?"

This was something nobody was prepared for. Todd hadn't thought of a place to dine, Melissa hadn't expected having lunch at a restaurant, besides, she was the invitee, and the Rangers were foreigners with little to no knowledge about the city's rodent facilities.

"No idea, Todd?" Chip asked with an eye on the watch built into the Rangerwing's dashboard.

"I'd say, give me some time to make up my mind, but I guess we haven't got that much time left. Maybe we should fly along the Strip, there are a lot of rodent restaurants around the Strip, and then decide spontaneously."

"Yes, I think that's the best solution," Chip said. "Now all we need is a seat for Melissa in one of our aircraft."

Foxglove stood up. "Here, Melissa," she called out, "you can sit on the Rangerplane's backseat with us. Oh, Dale cutie, you can sit in the front with Monty if you want, so Todd can come here, too."

Dale looked. "Do I wanna?"

"Yes, you do," Foxglove said in a tone between sweet and firm. "Wouldn't you love to see Las Vegas from the front row?"

"Wowie-zowie!" Dale jumped up and straight onto the passenger's seat. "The front row's the best place for the exciting stuff!" Foxglove knew why it was usually her who chose a movie when she went out with Dale. For when he found it boring, he paid more attention to her than to the screen, and he didn't mind sitting in a row farther back with her. Besides, she still hadn't gotten used to his movie taste and understood what was so horrible about bats. As Dale was sitting in front of her, she ruffled through the tuft of hair on his head with one wing before she motioned the two Las Vegas mice to come aboard.

Melissa closed the case in which her violin was lying, picked it up, and went ahead. Todd went after her and wondered why she stopped instead of climbing into the bleach bottle plane.

She smiled at him. "Todd, would you help me, please?"

"C'mon, Melissa, that's not too high for you, or is it?"

This did not remain unnoticed by Monty who hadn't left the pilot's seat. "Now be a gentleman, Todd, an' lend the lady a 'elpin' 'and, no matter if she needs it or not."

Melissa figured it was in fact Todd who needed help. She took his right hand, lifted it up to eye level, and said, "Hold it up right here, no matter what I do." So he did, and she secured herself by holding it until she stood on the wing. She then removed her hand and sat down in the middle of the backseat.

She smiled and patted the place to her left. "Come here, Todd. Come sit with me."

He hesitated, but didn't want to delay the orchestra rehearsals or reduce his lunch with the Rescue Rangers to fast food, and joined her on the plane.

"Everyone seated?" Monty asked his passengers.

"Everyone seated," Foxglove approved.

Zipper, sitting on Monty's shoulder like a pirate's pet parrot, gave the take-off command. Monty unlocked the clockwork drive, and seconds later, the Rangerplane was airborne. He steered it to Todd's PDA and let the suction cups connect to it until he commenced the climb up to the airspace above the legendary Las Vegas Strip with its endless row of hotels and casinos. The Rangerwing followed as Chip had decided to leave the recommendations and maybe also the choice up to the locals, both of who were seated on the Rangerplane.

* * *


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Cheese And Kamikaze

"Y'know, Todd, Melissa," Monty began the conversation anew, "I've been 'ere in Vegas before. But that's a while ago now."

"When was it, Monty?" Todd asked.

"1985. I was 'ere with Geegaw, Gadget an' LaWahini's father." He laughed briefly. "Well, I didn't know 'e was LaWahini's father until last year, an' I didn't know Gadget's twin until summer 1989. Anyway, we were on our way ta Portland an' stopped 'ere ta recharge the Screamin' Eagle's batteries an' our own ones, sorta. Crikey, I don't think there are so many left o' the places we went ta."

"Yes, Las Vegas is changing fast. I believe only Shanghai is faster."

"Shanghai... I remember when I got shanghaied in Shanghai on a junk full o' junk. Twice, I think. Care ta bring me up ta date, mates, restaurant-wise?"

"Sure," Todd answered. "Talking 'bout Shanghai, if it's Chinese food that you want, there's Chompsticks Palace. Their slogan is, 'Come take your sticks and chomp!' Excellent food, but stupid name."

"Well, let's leave it up ta Tammy ta judge if Chinese food is excellent. The lass grew up near Chinatown, y'know."

Dale added, "Monty and Tammy were the only ones who could eat with chopsticks before they became Rescue Rangers. Remember that evening when Gadget took us all to the Cadillac Wok, the place she found on the junkyard?"

"Ah yes, the restaurant in the ol' red '76 Eldorado. That is, back then it was under the 'ood of a golden '68 Sedan de Ville. They 'ad ta move when the '68 was scrapped."

"Oh, now I'm curious," Foxglove said. "Melissa, as a half-Japanese, do you know if there's a Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas, too?"

"Yes, there are two sashimi and sushi restaurants, but trust me, you don't wanna know where a rodent sashimi place in the middle of a desert gets their raw materials from. I'd rather have sashimi in Cleveland than in Vegas."

"What about somethin' Brazilian?" Monty suggested. "Geegaw showed me a place named Rodent Rodizio not far from 'ere."

"They're Tex-Mex now," Todd told him. "'Casa del Fuego.' They changed name, theme, and degree of spicyness three years ago when two of the three dancers became grandmothers."

"Too-ra-loo, 'as it been so long? What about the third dancer?"

"Married the owner, got divorced, and kept the restaurant. She was born in El Paso, y'know. The other two were from..."

Monty scratched his chin. "Des Moines, I think, an'... Pittsburgh?"

"Altoona," Todd corrected him.

"Right, I confused 'er with someone else." Monty dug up more memories from his last visit. "'ow 'bout the Magic Buffet Ride that was 'idden under the Dunes sign?"

"Dunes is gone, Monty."

"I see. An' the Lizard Lounge? Are those two nutty gecko lads still around?"

"It's selling sashimi today," Melissa answered, "and it's anime and manga-themed. The worst thing is that an uncle and a cousin of mine are running it."

Despite all the changes which had taken place in the past two decades, Monty recognized the area they were flying through. "Around 'ere, there used ta be a nice li'l place, Joanne's. But I guess it's a goner, too, right?"

"Oh, Joanne's is still in business," Melissa said. "I've been there often after shows." She spoke on, although Monty was distracted by a familiar scent in the air. "It's well-known in the whole city for its..."

"Chhhuhhhhhhheeeeeezzzzze..." Todd and Melissa didn't understand what was happening to Monty, also because they were sitting behind him, but Dale, Zipper, and Foxglove prepared for the worst when they noticed his warped mustache and the yellow and green rings around his pupils.

"Actually," Melissa said, "I meant the Dutch-style pancakes, but..."

"Hold on for your dear life!" Dale screamed a split-second before Monty cranked the bottle cap yoke to the left. The Rangerplane performed a left turn so sharp that it involved a barrel roll. While the four Rangers had been through this often enough, their two guests were taken by surprise, and when the aerobatics were over, Todd found Melissa sitting on his lap with her right arm laid around him. She didn't apologize, she just sat and smiled at him despite Monty's chaotic flying.

"Hi Todd," she spoke cutely. Then she turned to Dale. "Is that your usual way of deciding something spontaneously or only his?"

"No, that's a cheese attack," Dale explained. "Monty gets them when he smells cheese."

"Monty... is that short for Montgomery?"

"It's short for Monterey Jack. I'm Dale, and these are Zipper and Foxglove."

Melissa looked at the four Rangers, two of which she could only see from behind. 'So here I am in a flying bleach bottle with one of the greatest small animal crime-fighting teams ever. A fat cheese addict from Down Under who's even named after a cheese, a housefly on his shoulder, a chipmunk wearing Tom Selleck style, and a bat who's awake by day and who flies in this thing rather than on her own wings. I wonder how wacky the other Rescue Rangers are. Oh well, at least Todd is here.'

Meanwhile, Chip watched from the Rangerwing's co-pilot's seat as the Rangerplane twisted and turned and rushed away. "Gadget, what's going on there?"

Gadget sniffed. "Golly! Cheddar! Guess what that means." She placed her goggles over her eyes and slammed the thrust levers forward to the limits. The Rangerwing accelerated and pursued the Rangerplane gone wild.

"Sparky, give us a boost!" Gadget shouted.

"I can't," the former lab rat replied, "I'm totally discharged!"

"Great! Let's hope we're fast enough to get past them and arrive wherever they're heading for before them!"

In a hot pursuit, the two Ranger aircraft entered the park of a big resort hotel. Monty's reckless flying made it hard for Gadget to overtake him. He ran over plants that weren't hard enough to damage the Rangerplane, and he evaded everything else in his way tightly.

Tammy clung to her seat. "Gadget, he's flying like insane! You're sure you wanna overtake him?"

"Don't worry, Tammy, this is not the first time Monty has a cheese attack when he's piloting a plane. There's a pattern in his flying."

"You mean you're able to predict his maneuvers?"

"Well, I should be if I take a number of facts into consideration." Chip and Tammy cringed upon hearing the S-word spoken by Gadget. Thus, it was no wonder that they held their breath when she suddenly made the Rangerwing dive down. The Rangerplane was already closely ahead and flying right through the steel girders of a huge light pole filling a small gap in a tall hedge with a forest-like maze of trees behind it when its electric successor soared past underneath it, squeezing itself through the same hole in the girder. They were so close to each other that in spite of the air rushing past, the noise from the two electric motors, and the PDA hanging between them, everyone aboard the Rangerwing was able to hear the Rangerplane's clockwork mechanism.

When the light pole was behind them, Gadget still held the flashlight nose down and kept the motors running at maximum power so that the Rangerwing could build up more speed and outrun the Rangerplane. Her remaining troubles were the trunks of the trees all around and sometimes ahead of the Rangerwing. Along with the wind blowing around her, she felt LaWahini tap on her shoulder.

"What's up?" she asked, not looking ahead for a moment.

"Well, sister, it's great that your invention here is so fast, but how are we supposed to find out where Monty is heading for when he's behind us?"

"We'll follow the smell. I can't tell from the odor of a cheese half a mile away which brand it is like Monty can, but I can tell where the smell comes from. I'm a mouse, and so are you, remember?"

"I see. Now would you please look where you're flying and steer around that trunk there before we hit it?"

"Oh. Sure." Gadget turned the bottle cap yoke and performed an evasive maneuver soon enough to prevent any damage on the Rangerwing.

Led by the increasing cheese odor, Gadget steered it straight towards the wall of the resort building. LaWahini was about to panic. "I don't know if you can smell it, but there's a house ahead of us, and it's getting closer real fast!"

While even Chip got concerned about the large obstacle in their way, Gadget calmly corrected her sister, "Achally, LaWahini, we're getting closer to the house which, by the way, is a luxury resort hotel. That is, unless it is mounted on wheels or tracks and slowly moving into the opposite direction, but I don't see the point in making such a huge building movable, even less so with such a limited space available, and considering the necessary connections for water and electricity. On the other hand, you never know what marketing gimmicks Las Vegas hotel owners come up with. Electricity could be picked up from rails or overhead wires or a built-in power plant, and..."

"Gadget," Chip screamed, "the wall!"

"Oh, are we that close already?" Gadget put the hover switch into the center position so that the two motors reversed their rotations but didn't swivel upward into their vertical position. While the Rangerwing decelerated, she lowered the gears, waited for them to lock, and as soon as that happened, pushed the yoke forward. She and Chip felt LaWahini, Sparky, and Tammy bump into their backrests as the wheelless gears touched ground hard. The Rangerwing skidded along, still at high speed, but after Gadget had switched off the motors, she didn't wait for the propellers to stop spinning before she got up and jumped overboard to run ahead of the craft which stopped less than the width of a chipmunk's stripe away from the wall a few seconds later.

It wasn't before then that the four passengers discovered the rodent-sized restaurant built into the human hotel. The front door was half open and slowly closing, yet still allowing the cheese-scented fumes from the kitchen to waver out of the place. "Gadget must be in there," Chip concluded. He flipped the hover switch forward, and the shut-down motors turned upward.

"You mean you don't know for sure?" Tammy asked.

"I squeezed my eyes shut before the impact... which then didn't happen, luckily."

Inside the restaurant which wasn't as full as it would be in the evening, a lavender blur rushed along between the tables and finally came to a halt in front of a waitress. "Excuse me, but what's that cheese smell?"

"Uh... can be a lot... maybe an omelette with cheese, maybe toast Hawaii... Why?"

Gadget, still gasping for breath, took the waitress by her shoulders. "Bring out the Cheddar, and quick, this is an emergency!" She usually didn't get this close to a panic attack, if ever, it only happened along with something uncontrollable, such as one of Monty's cheese attacks. She remembered a similar scene from a dream she had a year ago, a dream so intense that she was still able to recall it after one year.

"Alright, alright, you shall have your cheese." The waitress then shouted into the kitchen's direction, "Jo, can I get some cheese?"

"Cheese?" came as the reply from the kitchen, spoken by a female voice.

"They say it's an emergency!"

The next thing Chip noticed was Monterey Jack running past the Rangerwing and almost pushing the door out of its hinges as he entered the restaurant. "Gadget," Chip thought loudly, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Emergency?" In the restaurant's kitchen, surrounded by quite a number of dishes, pots, pans, and plates with foodstuffs in preparation and the resulting fumes, a mouse stood and took care of the meals. She was in her fifties and a bit chubby, although not as rotund as Monty and his parents. She wore a dark lilac dress and a checkered blue and white apron. Her fur was two-tone beige and tan, and her hair was maroon, shoulder-long, and currently tied up in a hairnet. A pair of gray-blue eyes twinkled with the joy one feels when a hobby has successfully changed into a full-time job. However, in Joanna's case, this had not only happened some three decades ago, her eyes also showed her confusion. "Who can have such a craving for cheese?"

She grabbed a large wedge of Cheddar, of the same sort that emitted the scent, and left the kitchen. "Okay, where and who's the case of emerge—"

Immediately, Monty lunged at her and took the cheese from her as though it was a football. Within seconds, the cheese was entirely devoured. Joanne took roughly the same time to identify her visitor who lay there on his belly and commented his meal with the words, "Some'ow, it always tastes twice as good when ya 'ave ta 'unt it."

Joanne remembered that she had seen that burly mouse and heard that thick Aussie accent before. "Monterey Jack?"

Monty looked up. "Joanne?"

Chip sat and stared at the door which was slowly closing itself again. "If Monty's in there, who's piloting the..."

The familiar sound of clockwork gears had him move his attention away from the door and to the flying bleach bottle behind him. "...Rangerplane?!" he shouted out. Seconds before it would have hit the concrete wall, the Rangerplane performed a sharp left turn, but it barely slowed down. Chip saw his best friend with his hands on the yoke, trying to drag himself from the passenger's seat onto the vacant pilot's seat. "Dale!"

"It's okay, Chipper," Dale shouted back, "I've got everything under control!"

It was rather obvious that Zipper and Foxglove didn't share his optimism when they both took off from the Rangerplane, grabbed two of the rubber bands that held the red balloon, and tried to drag the aircraft into whatever direction appeared to be the safest.

Suddenly, Sparky jumped up from between Tammy and LaWahini and ran after the Rangerplane. "Great Scott!" he yelled in alarm. "The PDA! Take care of the PDA!" Thanks to the plane's not flying a straight line, he caught up quickly and jumped up to get hold of the stand which was still tied to the small computer. "Dale, release the PDA!"

"How?"

"Pull up one leg!"

So did Dale. Foxglove corrected him, "I believe he means one of the landing gear's legs, and not one of yours!"

"Oops! Wait a second, Sparks!"

One plop later, the left landing gear leg was raised, and the PDA hung on only one suction cup. Sparky started swinging it and himself around to try and detach the remaining cup, and the Rangerplane's random maneuvers caused by Dale's trying hard to change seats in mid-air helped a lot. But since Sparky and the PDA were in full swing when they were disconnected, they turned upside-down in the air.

Todd held his breath as he saw them fly and his PDA with its display facing down. To him, it seemed as if everything was happening in slow motion now. Sparky was hurled upward, but he still clung to the stand firmly and did what he could to keep the computer below him spinning. His efforts paid off well, for when his feet touched ground again, he triumphantly held the PDA above his head with his arms stretched out.

"I saved it!" he shouted. "Look here, everyone, I sa—whooaaah!" The weight of the PDA pushed him backward and caused him to almost fall over, but he managed to stabilize himself and his payload. "Whew, that was a narrow one!"

* * *


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: A Surprise For Lunch

"Monterey?" Joanne could barely believe whom the desert wind had blown back into her restaurant after so many years. That is, it could as well have been the sharp Cheddar scent from her kitchen. She wondered from how far away it might have lured him back, and how they were able to recognize each other.

Monty got up. He had landed flat on his tummy after pouncing upon the cheese and remained lying there on the floor until the cheese was gone. He, too, was delighted to see her again. "Jo!" He walked up to her, took his hand, and kissed its back the correct way, namely without his lips touching it. "I'm very pleased ta meet ya, me lass."

Joanne couldn't help but giggle, almost as though she was a little mouse girl again. "Aw, Monterey, you're indeed still the same old school gentleman you were back then. With the same cravin' for Cheddar you had back then."

"Yeah," Monty switched to small talk, "Cheddar's still one o' me favorites. An' Brie... Brie '86... nothin' will ever be that good. Too bad it's long gone."

"Enough cheese talk, Monterey." Joanne sat down at a table. "C'mon, sit down with me. It's been how long now?"

Monty took the seat opposite her. "It'll be twenty-two years this fall."

"Twenty-two years... a long time... I guess a lot has changed since then. Not only have we grown older... Tell me, what've you done all the time? You're still the same restless vagabond you've always been? How's Geegaw doin'? And who's that blond mousie over there, have you raised a family?"

The dampened noises of the Rangerplane touching down came in from outside when Monty began to explain. "Well, no, that sheila's Geegaw's li'l daughter. C'mere, Gadget luv, an' meet Joanne!"

Gadget came and shook hands with Joanne. "Hello," she said with a smile, "I'm Gadget."

"Hi Gadget," Joanne greeted her back. "Heh, Geegaw's little daughter..."

"Achally," Gadget corrected, "Dad has got two daughters. I've got a twin."

As if on cue, the other Rangers plus Todd and Melissa entered the restaurant, and when they found Gadget and Monty with Joanne, they joined them. Gadget laid her arm around LaWahini's shoulder. "This is my sister LaWahini," she introduced her to Joanne. "LaWahini, and everyone else, this is..."

"This is Joanne," Monty took over as he knew her better. "Geegaw an' I met 'er on a trip ta Nevada twenty-two years ago. Long story. Jo, these are me mates from New York City, the Rescue Rangers. an' these are Todd and Melissa, they're from 'ere."

"Oh, I've seen Todd and Melissa before, but who are the Rescue Rangers? Apart from the bits I've heard about them? And how come you're one of them?"

"'Nother long story, Jo luv."

Joanne placed her elbows on the table, rested her chin in her palms, and smiled. "Tell me. Tell me everything that happened since back then."

Monty was about to start retelling events from four decades when Chip spoke up. "Uh, I don't want to spoil your little reunion, but remember our time is limited."

"Okay," Joanne said, "what about this? You go through the menu and pick something for lunch, you people look awfully hungry. And when I'm back from the kitchen with your meals, I'm gonna sit down with you and listen to your stories."

"Agreed," Chip said and sat down at the table. The Rangers occupied two tables, and Melissa invited Todd to sit at a separate table with her.

"But first," Joanne added to her previous words, "you tell me more about the Rescue Rangers. You're a pretty lot, I thought you were... Some four, five, maybe six..."

"Five," Chip clarified. "We used to be five, but we expanded the team to nine last November. Three of our friends and Gadget's sister joined us."

"Ah. And what's your... business, so to speak? Rescue, right?"

"Rescue and crime-fighting for both animals and humans," Chip explained. "That is, most humans are of course barely aware of our existence as animals, let alone as the team that we are, but they still benefit from our actions at times."

"So, what leads you to Las Vegas? Are you on a case?"

"Indeed, they are," said someone. Those who were sitting with their backs to whoever had spoken turned around.

"Allan!" Gadget was the first to express her being surprised.

"The same," Allan said. "I happened to have lunch here and had just finished when you came in. I'm actually glad I met you."

"Yes," Chip replied, "I can imagine it." The way Allan kept his eyes on Gadget didn't stay unnoticed by him.

"There's something you might need to know about your case," Allan continued.

"Oh, is there? Well, if it's so important, then tell us after we've ordered."

"Why this?"

Chip motioned Allan to come closer. He bowed down a bit, and Chip whispered, "Because I don't want too many people to know about the case. This includes Joanne and her staff."

"I see," Allan whispered back.

He was about to stand upright when Chip grabbed him by his collar and pulled him close once again. "One more thing, Capone," he hissed through his teeth, trying to speak in a way that no-one else would hear. "Don't believe I'm totally oblivious about your... flirting with Gadget. Listen, buddy. One false move into her direction, and you'll regret you've ever met us. No matter if we save a vault locker full of gems, the city, or the world tonight thanks to your framing your brother or not. Got it?"

"Got it," Allan answered hastily, leaving unclear to Chip who let him go again whether he meant what he said.

Chip addressed to the other Rangers and their two guests then. "Well, has everyone made their choice?"

By and by, his question was answered positively. Joanne collected the menus except one per table, took the orders from the famous visitors from the East Coast and their local companions, and headed for the kitchen.

When she disappeared through the door, Chip told Allan, "Now you can speak. What is so important?"

"My brother Francis is here. He's probably gonna make sure that this former spy completes his mission and won't end up in jail. He might not be as lucky again as he was the last time when he was able to meet the human in prison."

"Why is he so dependent of a human?" Gadget asked.

"Yes," Foxglove remarked, "I've never heard that spies or thieves have familiars."

"Francis may sometimes appear like a boss, and he loves to play that role. But he always needs someone above him to provide him with missions. He's a much better hired hand with goons of his own than a mastermind of crime or espionage. He's best as a Number Two, but he couldn't cope with being Number One."

"And do you think he knows we're here?"

"I don't know where exactly he is nor what he has done here so far. I only know he's here in Las Vegas with his two henchrats because I got to see him on his way to the airport yesterday," he had to lie to explain why he himself was in Las Vegas, "and I saw them here by chance, too. So he might have spotted you or your air fleet somewhere."

"Don't worry, Chipper," Dale said and laid his arm around Chip, "he needn't know why we're here."

"If he doesn't, he'll find out soon," Chip replied. "Why else would he be here than to make sure the gems will end up where that former spy wants them, namely in Nimnul's hands? Maybe he's already at the palace, and the question wouldn't be if we meet him, maybe not even when, but only where in that building."

"Bring 'em on, I say," Monty spoke while doing some shadow boxing. "We're nine ta their three! An' if I 'ave ta, I could take 'em all out by meself!"

"Monty, remember the first time we met them?" Gadget reminded him. "We outnumbered them, we had the better equipment, yet they caught us. Violence wouldn't have gotten us anywhere. Fortunately, Dale managed to free us."

"Didn't he think it was just a game?" Chip asked.

"Achally, he made everyone believe he thought it was a game. You know, the idea of having Dale lead this mission gets better and better."

"Wowie-zowie!" Dale jumped up and saluted. "You can count on me, Rescue Rangers! Hey, I even brought my Double-O suit." He took a fighting stance with an imaginary gun in his right hand. "I'm prepared for everything!"

Foxglove got up and pecked him on the cheek. "My hero!" She was absolutely serious.

"Well," Allan said, "as I can see, you're taking my warning seriously, and things will be taken care of." He left for the door. "See you!"

Chip watched him go and muttered, "I hope not. I hope it for you."

"Chip," he heard Gadget say, "is everything okay with you?"

"Sure," he answered, "why shouldn't it?"

"Your behavior towards Allan. Or rather your hostility towards him." So she had heard all he said.

"As I already said, Gadget, I don't trust anyone who tries to use the Rescue Rangers in their personal revenge schemes which I suspect is the case in Allan's case."

"Aw c'mon, Chip. You should be grateful, after all, this case might turn out bigger than we thought, now that we know Nimnul's involved in it. Maybe you were right, and we will save the world. I can imagine a lot of dangerous things someone like Nimnul could do with fourteen gems..."

"Besides," Chip interrupted her rambling, "I can't stand that greedy way he looks at you."

"So he looks at her," Tammy entered the discussion, "and he obviously likes what he sees. So what? Chip, if you believe everyone who gives Gadget the eye plans on snagging her away from you, go lock her away in her workshop, so no-one but us can see her. And while you're at securing your relationship, you'd better stay at the Headquarters, too, because you, sir, are quite the looker, too. And trust me, when I say it, I mean it."

"I'm sure Gadget enjoys the attention," LaWahini added, "I would if I were in her place. Or do you, sis?" Gadget nodded half-coyly, half-uneasily. "See, Chip, it's not like she feels molested or stalked."

Chip knew well how Gadget enjoyed Allan's flirting. Things would be a lot easier if she didn't, for in that case she would simply take care of the situation herself. Instead, however, she seemed to be willing to accept any invitation by Allan to anything. He had never thought that she would ever get so weak, especially near a guy who looked similar to not one, but two of the Rangers' enemies, one of which even had tried to kill her after she refused to become his moll. No, he hadn't worked eighteen years of his life on winning Gadget's heart to let her go with the brother of two crooks who himself was nothing but using the Rangers for something Chip considered worse than self-justice.

He looked up. The few other guests at the restaurant were sitting too far away, but Melissa might have heard every word that had just been spoken. He was glad to find her and Todd in their own somehow flirtatious conversation. It was one-sided, though, Melissa tried hard to get Todd to accept and react positively upon her attempts at flirting with him. It reminded him a bit of how Foxglove and Dale started.

There was one major difference between the two couples. Dale felt quite annoyed at first when Foxy didn't want to leave him alone, but a couple of days later, he was all hers. Todd, on the other hand, refused to realize that Melissa was interested in him. And she had certainly been flirting with him for years now. Not as many years as Chip took to win Gadget's heart, but still years.

Gadget... Chip suddenly imagined how Allan's charm would work on Gadget, how he would manage to take her away and make her his within hardly more than one day. 'No,' Chip decided, 'I won't allow that to happen. Even if I have to fight for her, for then so be it.'

A melange of appetizing smells and Joanne's voice drove Chip back to reality. She stood next to the tables and carried half a dozen filled plates. "Ladies, gentlemen, who ordered what?"

* * *


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Back In Business 

Easily in time, the two Rescue Rangers aircraft landed close to the walls of the Versailles Palace near a hole well hidden from human views in which an armadillo was standing and waiting. He left his place when he saw who had come with the strangers in their strange contraptions.

"Ah, good to see that you didn't reconsider, Todd. And welcome back, Miss Mayfield," Armando greeted the two mouse musicians who got off the Rangerplane. "You need my help with your computer, Todd?"

Todd appreciated any help when he had to move his PDA through the alleyways in the walls and floors of the palace. Those paths were not at all made for pushing or pulling a cart on them due to a lot of stairs and steps on the way, and he often even had to carry the PDA on its stand. But before he was able to reply, Melissa handed Armando her instrument case. "Take care of my violin, please, while I'm helping Todd. Oh, and by the way, Armando, it's Melissa. It's always been Melissa."

"Uh... sure, whatever you say... Melissa."

Todd stood and watched, his hands already on the handle end of the PDA stand, as Melissa grabbed and heaved up the other end. He knew he should have expected that idea of hers, because back when he was a regular member of the orchestra, when the two happened to meet at the small animal backstage entrance, she used to help him without him even asking. But there was no way for him to comprehend why she helped him, also because she always carried the heavy end with the wheels where the PDA had its battery, and yet she always kept smiling at him, although it meant she had to walk backwards.

"Ready, Todd?" she asked.

"Yeah, ready," he confirmed and hoisted up his end.

"Well, Armando," Melissa said then, "go ahead, we'll follow you."

Todd gave the visitors from the East Coast a nod. With the PDA in his hands, he was unable to wave. "And thanks for flying us here, Rescue Rangers. You'll be there tonight to see the show? 8 pm?"

"We will, Todd," Chip promised. He avoided mentioning the case as long as Melissa and Armando were within earshot. "See you tonight, and good luck with the rehearsals!"

Todd could still hardly believe that he had met the Rescue Rangers. As he entered the small animals' part of the huge building, he heard the sound of the Rangerplane's clockwork drive and the Rangerwing's two propellers. Yes, he was sure that they would keep their promise and attend the show. And then he would help them on the case which led them to his hometown.

The alleyways were brightly lit by hundreds, if not thousands of LEDs. Sometimes, the walls resembled galleries with all the posters and photographs and rodent newspaper clippings of past performances and their performers. Of course, many of these exhibits reminded the beholder of the glorious times of Las Vegas' greatest animal music revue ever, the Chipmunk Divine. Todd had seen them a hundred times whenever he went to the rehearsals and the performances, he had watched their number grow, but he had gotten used to it. After the recent half-year hiatus, though, he realized how impressive they actually were. He also realized that there would never have been a Chipmunk Divine without him, for his electronic sounds and sequences had an immense influence on the show. He had been told that the mixture of an orchestra and synthesizer sounds were one of the main reasons why so incredibly many animals had wanted to see the Chipmunk Divine, and why the critics praised it. The singer might have been the heart and soul of the show, but he, Todd, the white mouse who was born to be abused, tortured, or even killed, but saved by as much a nerd as he was himself, he was the show's very brain. It did make sense to him, after all, the show was impossible to be continued after he had quit. The closer he came to the theater where the rehearsals were held, the more songs he remembered he had arranged or even composed together with his boss whose name he didn't dare to say.

Finally, Melissa and Todd stepped through the large backstage door which Armando held open. They were under a human theater now. When the small animals' theater had been built, all measures possible had been taken to acoustically insulate the two halls from each other so that no audience could hear the respectively other performance. In a particular way, Todd felt like coming home. The stage—a show like the Chipmunk Divine involved the orchestra too much to hide the musicians away in an orchestra pit—, the lights, the big hall in front of the stage, everything was like he remembered it. He did feel a bit uneasy about how the other musicians would react upon his return. After all, they had reason enough to hold a grudge against him for killing their show. But to his surprise they didn't. They were even happy to have back the mouse who held the show together, and who made it so special and unique.

Being the last two musicians to return, Melissa and especially Todd received many welcomes from the whole orchestra. Armando had indeed managed to get all members back, for they all had stayed in Las Vegas and anticipated a comeback of the Chipmunk Divine, at least as long as there was no news of Todd leaving the city. With Melissa's help, he brought the portable computer to its usual place on a slightly raised platform behind the orchestra which was an idea of his boss. He connected the device to the stage box and gave a thumb up to Jim, the black rat who sat behind the custom-built mixing desk on a side of the stage, unseen by the audience, between the slightly modified earpieces of a discarded pair of human hi-fi headphones which served as monitor speakers. Jim gave two thumbs up back, and Todd booted the PDA and launched the virtual instrument software. Sparkling synthetic sounds came from the monitor speakers as he began to play, sounds which even nobody in the orchestra had ever heard him play before.

Todd noticed how the entire orchestra stared at him with eyes and mouths wide open. "Upgrade," he explained with a faint smile. "I used my time outside the orchestra to get new software and program some new sounds."

"It sounds beautiful," Melissa said and returned his smile.

"Indeed, so it does," a female voice spoke behind Todd. He turned and saw her again. Even in plain street clothing such as the dark purple shirt and blue jeans this chipmunk lady looked gorgeous. "Welcome back to the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra! I see you didn't abandon music entirely. And it's sure nice to have you back here with us."

She walked up to him and stood next to him, taking a glance at the virtual synthesizer program with the two manuals. "You're not gonna bail out before tonight?" she asked silently enough to not let anyone but Todd hear it.

"No, I'll stay. At least for this show."

"Well, you know the deal. You keep your promise and play the Chipmunk Divine, I keep my promise and help your friends. Will they be here tonight?"

"They said so, yes."

"Good." Very good for her, actually. She couldn't wait to perform for her two very special chipmunk guests, somehow like she had sung for them almost 25 years ago in New York City, but much, much more professional. "Alright," she lifted her voice, "we've got a lot to rehearse and little time." She went to her center stage place. "Let's go through the set-list from the beginning. Ready, Todd?"

"Ready." A motion of his hand on the touch screen later, a certain, well-known rhythm sounded quietly from the speakers.

Outside, at a distance from the palace, the Rescue Rangers had parked their air fleet and were on their way back to their makeshift headquarters hidden in the bushes. "So there's a li'l family reunion goin' on, huh?" Monty commented on the recent news.

"Yeah," Dale said, "good thing I brought my Double-O super agent suit!"

"It's better than that ridiculous blue and red striped thing," Chip gave his opinion.

"Hey, Foxy loves that suit!"

"Oh, does she?"

"Yes, she does!" Foxglove answered.

Chip cleared his throat. "Anyhow, we'd better be cautious. Who knows how much havoc two of these brothers can wreak?"

"What if Rat Capone is here, too," Gadget asked, "and Allan doesn't know yet?"

"I doubt that Rat Capone even knows about the gems, let alone where to find them. Although I must admit that he might well love to get them into his greedy hands."

"Uh, Chip," Tammy said, "I believe someone else does know about the gems and that they're here."

Chip stopped, looked where Tammy pointed, and discovered an unusually big pawprint of feline origin. "Okay, so they've got some big cats here in Las Vegas, probably to keep our likes away from the hotels. That doesn't have to mean Fat Cat's here."

"Big c-c-c-cats?" Monty turned pale immediately. "Chipper me lad, fer this time I 'ope it is Fat Cat."

"It might well be him," LaWahini said. "After all, he tried to steal one of the stones, so why shouldn't he be after all of them now?"

Chip gave LaWahini's words a thorough thinking. She did have a point. Fat Cat knew about at least that one diamond which his lackeys would almost have managed to steal if LaWahini hadn't been faster. And the whole exhibition wasn't exactly a secret. The only question remaining was how he could have found out where the gems had gone, to which city, and into which building?

Dale's voice pulled the emergency brakes of his train of thoughts. "Chip!" he heard his friend yell from a few feet ahead where the headquarters were. He, Monty, Tammy, and LaWahini who had stood around the pawprint rushed to where the cry came from.

Like their teammates did before, they found their headquarters devastated. All three tents were torn down, equipment was spilled all over the ground, and some of the bags everyone had brought had been opened and emptied. On top of all that, the same huge pawprints could be seen all around.

"Chip, have a look at this," Chip heard Gadget say. As he turned to her, he saw her hold an empty candy bar wrapper.

"Are you still so sure this is all just a coincidence?" LaWahini asked him.

No, he wasn't. There was no safe proof, but more than enough evidence. The pawprints on the ground were too similar to those of the feline gangster boss, the wrapper was Mole's signature, and the camp was messed up. Fat Cat and his gang were in town more likely than not. And if they were, they knew of the Rangers' presence as well as roughly where the gems were. As if that hadn't been enough, Francis and his two minions were around, too, according to Allan.

"Zipper, patrol the area and see if Fat Cat is there or Francis or any of their goons," Chip commanded, and the green fly saluted and flew away. "The rest of us pack our things up and into the Rangerplane. We need to be ready to take off anytime."

"Shall I help Zipper with the air patrol?" Foxglove asked.

"No, we need your keen hearing here, Foxy," Chip replied.

"Um, Chip, where shall we sleep tonight?" Tammy wanted to know, briefly glancing at the remains of the girls' tent which Gadget and LaWahini were disassembling.

"To be honest," Chip answered, "I'm not sure if we'll find any sleep tonight. In fact, it'd be the best if we got the gems back tonight, it's safer than at daytime, and I'd like to get it done as soon as possible. Remember that your dad wants us to retrieve the gems and return them to the museum quickly."

"Then we'd better 'ave a nap before we see the show," Monty suggested. "After all, we're three hours be'ind New York City."

"Right," Tammy added, "by the time a show starts here, a Broadway show ends. And if we need to stay up all night..."

"Point taken, Tammy and Monty," Chip said, agreeing. "When Zipper is back, we'll fly somewhere that's safe and take a bit of sleep so we're fresh for both the show and whatever might happen tonight."

In the meantime, Zipper examined the park around the palace quickly but thoroughly. In addition to his speed, his size or lack thereof helped him stay unnoticed by anyone. He knew that if either of the crooks was around, that one would have one of his goons watch out for the Rangers or any other unwanted trespassers. in the other hand, he also knew what dimwits they both had as goons, and that he might have to land on their very noses to have them notice him.

He checked trees, hedges, bushes, walls, practically everything which rose up from the ground high enough to provide a hiding. But neither gang was there to be found. So he continued his patrol in the palace itself and especially at the casino rooms. He figured that at least Fat Cat might be in there. After all, the chubby feline had both a weakness for glamorous, Las Vegas-style gambling and a casino of his own. So even if he might not be able to join the games, he might still let the atmosphere inspire him.

The doors were opened and closed often enough for Zipper to slip inside quickly. But since it was early afternoon, there weren't so many gamblers frequenting the tables and slot machines. This made searching for unwanted visitors easier, especially those with fur and criminal pasts. Zipper looked everywhere that would be suitable as a hiding for someone as massive as Fat Cat, but also wherever someone as small as Francis could hide. The presence of the latter was rather improbable, but not to be excluded entirely.

However, even close examination of several gambling saloons, bar rooms, restaurants, kitchens, and the two big theaters didn't reveal the whereabouts of either crook or any of their henchmen. 'They might have gone sight-seeing or finding a hideout elsewhere,' Zipper thought. 'And even if they are here, they should know that it'd be a stupid idea to attack us when we're expecting an attack.' With the whole place most likely being clear as the only news, he flew back to the other Rangers who were waiting by the two loaded aircraft.

"I'm glad yer back safe, pally," Monty said. He knew that Zipper could keep and, if necessary, get himself out of a lot of trouble, but not out of all sorts of trouble. The memories of his little friend's encounter with Ribit for example were still present after so many years.

"Have you seen anyone?" Chip asked.

Zipper shook his head and reported that the park as well as what parts of the palace he could access were devoid of any known baddies.

"Good. So now that we're complete again, let's go and find a safer place than down here."

"What'd be safe enough?" Monty wondered. "Out in the desert?"

"No," Chip answered, "that's not what I'd call safety. No, we need to stay close to the palace in case the alarm goes off."

"Don't you think that Fat Cat's gang can pull off such a heist without triggering the alarm?" LaWahini asked. "After all, they tried it yesterday."

"No way!" the five original Rangers plus Tammy said in unison. Gadget added, "Even if you had let them, they wouldn't have succeeded. And this place has got a way better security system, the gems are locked away in a high-tech vault, not to mention it's broad daylight. Which of course doesn't mean they'd shy away from trying."

"And what about..." Sparky tried to remember the name of the former spy rat.

"Francis?" Chip said. "He's just here to make sure that the stones aren't stolen by anyone."

Dale slipped out of Foxglove's gentle embrace. "Yeah, but a Double-O super spy can take on 'em anytime." He took a sort of super agent stance and pretended to hold Gadget's miniature plunger gun.

Monty slapped his back so hard that he almost fell over. "An' so can the Rescue Rangers, right, Dale lad?"

Dale barely managed to keep the balance. "Right, Monty!" In his mind, he added, 'But they're not as cool.'

* * *


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Casino Roy-Dale

The desert sun moved on across the sky. For another couple of hours, its rays gave daylight and warmth to the city of Las Vegas and to two tiny tents which were mounted on the steel structure behind the large illuminated sign next to the broad driveway which led to the Versailles Palace. On both ends of the structure, sirens and red strobe lights were mounted, parts of the Versailles Palace's alarm system. Between the tents, two likewise tiny and strange-looking aircraft were parked.

For most places in the world, the sunlight was the source of life. Las Vegas, however, was one of those to which the opposite seemed to apply, those that really came to life after sunset when the many artificial illuminations shone against the dark sky.

"The game is Black Jack," the croupier said, an albino rat in a red jacket and white shirt.

Double-O Dale placed his bet onto the green felt surface of the small table. He didn't know anything about Black Jack except for what he had seen in the Dirk Suave movies. But it was a nice way to spend his time before he was meeting up with his nemesis, Fat Cat, in whose casino he obviously found himself, only that it was much more glamorous than what he remembered from earlier cases. Besides, he wanted to impress the gorgeous red-furred bat lady in the black dress who was standing opposite of him.

The bat batted her eyelashes. Hot steam built up underneath Dale's collar and searched for a way out, preferably upward.

"Good luck, sir," she said. Her voice alone was enough to take Dale's breath away.

He tried hard to appear rather cool than goofy. After all, he was a Double-O super agent, and Double-O super agents were always cool. "Thank you."

"What's your name, if I may ask?"

"The name's Dale. Double-O Dale." He didn't consider hiding his identity at all.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr.," she inserted a short pause, "Dale."

"And your name is?" he asked as though he didn't know.

Before she could reply, a siren began to sound. The crystal chandeliers under the ceiling went dark, and red light bulbs became the only source of light as if the casino was built into a submarine. Animal gamblers were running for the front door, but Dale stayed where he was. "Dang," he said, "I'm discovered! Okay, showtime!"

"You'd better go, too," the bat lady recommended.

But Dale answered, "No way I'm gonna run away now. He'll be here anytime."

"Oh, 'he' is already here, Mr. Dale," a familiar voice said. Its owner was obviously also the owner of the hand which grabbed him from behind and lifted him up.

"Fat Cat!" Dale said. "We finally meet!"

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be our final meeting. Or at least the final meeting for one of us."

"Black Jack!" the croupier shouted. He had stayed faithful to his job and not left the table in the middle of the game. "Sir, you've got Black Jack! Sir!"

The bat lady just stood and stared up at Dale.

Suddenly, everything went dark. From time to time, some yellow lights lit up Dale's surroundings, but they appeared to be covered with dark plastic foils. The table was gone. The bat lady was gone. Fat Cat was gone. The whole casino was gone. It had all just been a dream. But the blaring siren was still present.

As soon as Dale had grasped the situation, he jumped up and yelled out loud, "Alarm! Alarm! Burglars!"

He started towards the exit of the tent but tripped over something or rather someone on his way. "Oof!" he went as he landed flat on the steel ground, already half outside the tent. He raised his head to examine what was going on, but a bonk upon it sent him down again.

If there was something he was immediately aware of, it was who had bonked him. "Hey," he shouted while he rubbed his head, "why've ya done this?"

"There was no burglary, dummy!" Chip shouted back. "Or are the red strobes flashing? There, see for yourself!"

Dale looked up and saw Gadget climb onto the Rangerwing. She pushed some button near the middle of the dashboard, and whatever alarm it was fell silent. "It was a good idea to replace the old watch with a digital one," she spoke rather to herself than to the few listeners whom she hadn't noticed yet, "but golly, I should've used a smaller speaker for the alarm. Or a less powerful amplifier."

When she spotted the two chipmunks, she smiled sweetly. "Good morning, guys! Wlachally, 'good evening' would be more appropriate, considering it's two minutes past seven in the evening. That is, it's morning in Siberia and Central Asia now, but I don't think anyone could hear me greet them, unless of course I phoned them, but I haven't got anyone's number there, let alone a phone, although..."

"And a good evening to you, my sweet Gadget," Chip interrupted her.

"Hi Chip," she greeted him back. "Dale, it's nice to see you up early. Guess it was a good idea not to bring a TV along," she commented with a smirk.

Dale was about to explain that he wouldn't watch those game shows and soap operas which made up the TV program around that time anyway, besides, Gadget hadn't invented a small enough portable TV yet, but he decided not to say a word.

The next to leave the tent was Monterey Jack. "Crikey, what's all the 'assle 'ere, Chipper?" he asked.

"Oh, Dale just mistook the alarm clock on the Rangerwing for the palace alarm."

Monty was all confused now. "We've got an alarm clock on the Rangerwing? Was that what ya meant with, 'I'll wake yer up in time,' Gadget luv?"

"Sure," Gadget replied, "it's one of the functions of the digital watch I installed recently. That is, the alarm sound generator, the amplifier, and the speaker are external components."

"So that was what that noise came from." Still a bit sleepy, LaWahini peeked out of the girls' tent. "I dreamed some non-sense about a volcanic eruption early warning system that Hubba Hubba made me set up. Of course, I installed a set of manual controls in my hut, but when I accidentally activated the system, I couldn't turn it off again."

Foxglove's head appeared next to hers. "Congratulations, Gadget, you managed to mess up my echolocation in my dream."

This was new to LaWahini. "You use echolocation in your dreams?"

"Sure, or don't you look at anything when you're dreaming? Anyway, as if that wasn't enough, when Tammy jumped up, her head hit mine."

Tammy's slightly muffled voice came out of the tent. "You do have one hard skull, Foxy. Could you please hang above someone else next time we're sleeping in this tent?"

"'ey Zipper," Monty asked his old buddy who came flying out of the guys' tent, "do we 'ave ta wake Sparky up?"

Zipper answered that Sparky was already awake. A second later, the tent opened up, and out came the lab rat, dressed up to the nines in a white shirt and a light blue dinner jacket. "Sorry for not tidying up my hair," he apologized, "but it's kinda stubborn. Say, why aren't you dressed up yet? Am I too early or too late? And what was it that we had to dress up for?"

"We're gonna see a show tonight," Chip told him again, "and then meet someone who might help us on our case. And don't worry, you're perfectly in time. By the way, everyone please get into their suits and dresses now. The earlier we're there, the better seats we have."

Upon Chip's order, the Rangers retreated into their respective tents, only Sparky stayed outside. "Come to think," LaWahini commented, "I'm the only one who's changing from one dress into another. I wonder what's wrong with my sarong."

"I used to wonder what's wrong with my overalls," Gadget said. "But that was when I believed that bad things happen whenever I wear a dress."

Foxglove opened her personal bag. "What about me? I'm not used to wearing any clothes at all." She carefully took her gown out of her bag. "This thing is tailor-made, but it's still a wonder I can fly with it on. Oh well, Dale says I look beautiful in it."

"So you do, Foxy," Tammy said, "so you do."

Over in the guys' tent, things were a lot more chaotic. Dale had spread most of the contents of his bag over one half of the floor. These, however, contained neither comics nor candy for a change. They were the components of what Dale was going to wear, his Double-O Super Agent suit. He hadn't worn it for a long while, and Gadget had given it several upgrades since then, so he had to figure out anew how and in which order to put everything together and in place. Some parts were familiar to him, especially those he had invented himself back then, but others he saw for the first time.

He held up something that resembled an unusually slim and somehow streamlined rucksack despite its rigid shell. "Uh, Chip, what's this?"

Chip took a break from buttoning up his shirt and examined the backpack device. "Don't know," he answered, "I've never seen it before either. You're sure you haven't used it yet, Dale?"

"Chip, I've never worn such a... whatever it is on my back. I don't even know if I shall wear it over or under my jacket."

"Well," the black-nosed chipmunk said, "it's certainly not worn outside the jacket. Maybe Gadget can tell you more about it." He put on his dinner jacket, left the tent, and called, "Gadget? Gadget, we need your help here, sorta."

"I'm coming," he heard Gadget's voice from inside the other tent, "just a moment, please."

Chip waited patiently for Gadget to come out, and when she did, she took his breath away with no effort at all. She wore the same white and pastel pink evening gown she had worn on that one particular date with Chip. It was one of a kind, inspired by a dream she had almost a year ago which followed an adventure cartoon marathon in an almost entirely fictional late 30s setting inhabited by roughly human-sized anthropomorphic animals. Aviation and particularly seaplanes played a big role in that show which provided the surroundings for the dream Gadget had the following night. She had seen that dress in the show, she had seen it again in her dream, and she had even been given one of her size. The following morning, she forgot about her bad experiences with dresses and asked a befriended tailor to make such a dress for her. Half a year later, she had worn it for the first time on what she and Chip believed to be their very last date. They had been dating for sixteen years without daring to reveal their feelings for one another, and they had decided independently that if that didn't happen again, they would quit the nerve-racking dating. However, a big case several weeks before changed a lot for both of them, not only because Gadget got her family back—her father who had been officially proclaimed dead more than a year before the Rescue Rangers joined, her mother whom she had never seen before since they had been separated when she was only a few days old, and her sister whom she did know, but not as a relative, but as a villain who happened to look like her and who had made bad use of these very convenient conditions—but also because Chip and Gadget came closer to each other than ever before in a certain way. All these still fresh memories came back to Chip's mind as he saw Gadget in that dress.

But something was wrong about her outfit. "Gadget! Wait!" Chip heard Tammy call. A second later, the squirrel maid jumped out of the tent and yanked the pair of blue goggles off Gadget's head. She held them before Gadget's face. "Gadget, did you even notice you put them back on?"

"Golly, did I?" Gadget replied. "I guess I didn't pay attention to what I'm putting on. Thanks for reminding me, Tammy."

"You're welcome, Gadget." Tammy handed her a small artificial flower. "Here, wear this instead. Sheesh, what'dya do without me..."

Gadget turned around and watched Tammy get back into the tent with LaWahini fumbling around on her back where her long blue dress was still partly open. "How am I supposed to zip up your dress when you're whirling around like this?" the former Hawaiian mouse said. "And Gadget, with that flower, you look more like me than myself. Regard this as a compliment. Tammy, stop! Ah, and will you please pay a little more attention to what you're doin' with that tail of yours, in my face no less..."

With this distraction gone, Gadget paid attention to Chip again. He, too, was wearing the same suit as on that very special date. But he wore it more frequently than she wore that dress. "So, Chip, what do you need my help with?"

"Dale's trying to assemble his super agent suit," Chip told her, "but he could use a bit of advice."

"Well, let's see." Gadget knocked on the tent next to the entrance, at least as far as she could knock on a tent. "May I come in, guys?"

Four affirmative replies later, she entered the tent and saw Dale with the backpack. "Be careful with that one!" she said, slightly raising her voice.

"Why," Dale asked, "what is it?"

"It's a slim-line, baking soda-based, strap-on dual rocket pod. It provides you with thrust for 30 seconds. Unfortunately, at this stage of development, you can neither control the thrust nor switch it off, but it should work as is. It's worn underneath the shirt, and I recommend to mount the trigger on the inside of your jacket and connect it to one of the buttons."

"Wowie-zowie," Dale cheered, "a rocket worn on the back, like in the cartoons on TV! May I test it?"

"Don't dare turn it on in here," Chip warned him.

"Besides," Gadget added, "we can't refuel it yet. I'm working on it, but as of now, once it's empty, it needs to return to my workshop."

"Uh, Gadget," Chip asked with unease, "is this thing tested at all? And doesn't Dale need a bit of training?"

"Of course it's tested. Well, with a dummy and a wire as a remote control, but I'm sure it won't fail. And yes, Dale should really practice with it."

"And when and with which fuel shall he do it? Dale, I think you'd better leave this one out for tonight. It'd be uncomfortable anyway when you have to sit through the show. On second thought, you'd better not wear these super agent gizmos at all during the show. I'm sure you won't need them, and the staff won't allow cameras in there anyway, even if they're hidden in a bow tie."

A couple of minutes later, everyone including Dale was dressed up and ready to go. The tents were dismantled and stowed on the Rangerplane, as was the rest of the mobile headquarters. The Rescue Rangers entered their two aircraft to fly down to the palace, and Foxglove noticed a sulking Dale. "What's up, cutie?"

"Aw, Chip won't let me wear my Double-O Super Agent equipment."

"Cheer up, Dale." She pecked him on the cheek. "It feels weird on you anyway," she said as she wrapped her wings around him, "and I never know if any of these gimmicks will blow up or do something else unexpectedly when I touch it by chance. Don't worry, Dale, that suit looks snazzy on you as it is."

"Thank you, Foxy. And you look good in that dress, too."

"Oh, Dale!" Instead of pecking him again, Foxglove gave him a big smooch.

Dale grinned. "Heh, must be the suit."

* * *


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Showtime

Unnoticed by the many humans below, the two planes took off and flew over the park to the palace. The main entrance for rodents was hidden well underneath some bushes on a side of the building, but it was not too hard to find, the Rangers simply had to see where the other rodents went. Although it didn't share the style of the human entrance, it was more than just a mere hole in the wall. Multiple glass doors, four times as tall as an average chipmunk, stood open below an illuminated sign reading, "THE CHIPMUNK DIVINE," and, "TONIGHT – THE RETURN OF LAS VEGAS' GREATEST SHOW". The doors and the sign were built into a recess in the wall which could be covered by a wooden panel with a thin layer of concrete to match the rest of the building on one side and four handles and a set of locks on the other side when the theater was closed. Said panel was leaning against the wall outside. Next to the doors, an armadillo in a black tuxedo stood and waved at the Rangers as they got off their craft.

Monty remembered him. "I've seen this bloke before, Chipper. 'E was there when we brought Todd an' Melissa 'ere."

"He might be one of the staff," Chip supposed.

"And he seems to be informed about our arrival," Gadget said. "See, he's waving at us."

The Rangers came closer. This was not their first encounter with the armadillo, but as they didn't really know him other than what he roughly looked like, they prepared themselves for anything. They had been tricked by false friendliness often enough in the past.

Yet this armadillo's friendliness was for real, although it was part of his job. "Good evening," he greeted the Rangers, "and welcome at the Versailles Palace. You must be the Rescue Rangers from New York City, right?"

"That's right," Chip confirmed.

"Well, from what I heard about you, I must say I'm honored to meet you. My name is Armando, I'm the official director of the show you're going to see tonight. Allow me to show you your seats..."

"Wait a minute, Armando," Chip interrupted him. "Do you have security here? Someone who can have an eye on our planes while we're in here?"

"Of course," Armando answered, "the entrance is guarded as long as the place is open to keep unwanted visitors away. And you can believe me that aircraft thieves will be taken care of, too. Anyway," he continued as he led the Rangers through the hallways, "you're here tonight on a special invitation from our star, you're the guests of honor, and I've reserved the VIP seats in the first row for you. That is, if you prefer sitting elsewhere, I'm sure I can arrange this, too."

"Thanks," Gadget said, "but I guess the first row is okay. How many rows are there, if I may ask?"

"I'd like to say, 'enough,' but I've seen enough nights when every single seat was taken. It's of course a lot different to play in front of a full house than to play in front of a dozen or two, unevenly distributed about the theater."

Armando went on telling the Rangers about the theater and its history and a bit about his tasks on the show as well, from musical director to piano player. He also mentioned that he had written or co-written some of the songs. He did not, however, say a word about the star of the show, at least not before the group reached one of the doors to the theater which Armando pushed open then.

The Rescue Rangers were truly amazed about what they saw. It was a full-blown theater and music hall similar to the human one above them, but kept at a size suitable for small animals. Countless folding seats in dozens of rows filled the stalls, and even more were above on the three terraces. Everything was crafted and installed perfectly, nothing gave the impression that anything had been scavenged from human waste. Up to a height of two inches, the walls were covered with plywood in a dark varnish, and above that level, dark brown fabric had been applied. Most of the stage on the far end of the room was hidden behind a red curtain, but the lack of an orchestra pit was visible. Light was provided by many small light bulbs which were mounted in holes in the ceiling. Gadget reckoned that LEDs would have required special electronic devices to eliminate the flickering caused by the alternate current, not to mention special LEDs to avoid either too cold or too yellow light. It was most probably easier to use these tiny bulbs and replace them in case one happened to burn out.

"Your seats are down there," Armando explained. "You've got plenty of choice, I've reserved the first four rows for you. That is, I don't expect so many spectators to come, it's still largely unknown that The Chipmunk Divine is back, so I'm sure you'll be able to enjoy the show with no disturbances. But in case of any troubles feel free to call the staff, and things will be taken care of."

"Who needs staff," Monty said and pushed up his sleeves, "I'll take care o' the troublemakers meself! They won't dare disturb us!"

Chip shook hands with the armadillo before he and the others went to their seats. "Thanks for everything so far, Armando. And see you later!" Not knowing what the Rangers would have to expect, Chip referred to the show and to Armando's involvement as a piano player.

With little to no discussions, let alone debates, the Rangers took their seats in the first row, right in front of a catwalk which led from the stage to the audience, albeit not reaching between the seats. Chip and Dale took the two seats in the middle, Chip to the left, Dale to the right. Left of Chip sat Gadget, her sister LaWahini who wore the infamous red dress that used to be part of one of Gadget's disguises, and Sparky. Foxglove's seat was of course next to Dale's, followed by Tammy and Monterey Jack on whose shoulder Zipper had his place. By and by, more small animals entered the theater and sat down, but it still did not get filled up to more than a quarter. It was obvious that Armando's spontaneous advertising campaign which he had pulled off while gathering the members of the orchestra didn't reach very far in such a short time. And many were interested in attending the show mainly because it was expected to be a special one, the first one after a hiatus of half a year. But the show still was about to have more than only nine spectators.

The Rangers spent the next few minutes patiently waiting and occasionally adding to the quiet, dampened murmuring which filled the theater. Unlike by far the majoprity of the audience, they did not know what to expect, but they were willing to be surprised. After all, they were in Las Vegas, and the "best show" attribute was certainly not just yet another blatant lie to lure small animals into the theater, much less so since The Chipmunk Divine was an established and well-renowned show which didn't need that sort of promotion.

The ambient noises fell silent when suddenly the lights in the ceiling were dimmed to almost darkness. It seemed as if the whole theater held its breath for ten seconds. And then the moment arrived that everyone had been waiting for. The show began.

Yet it didn't start in a breath-takingly spectacular way with a big bang, but rather softly and gently. First, a familiar rhythm pattern sounded from the stereo speakers concealed behind the fabric on both sides of the stage. Despite being generated by a kind of electronic beat box which was part of Todd's software, it was quickly identified as the one from Maurice Ravel's Bolero, and the bass and pizzicato, both played on real strings, helped recognize it.

Amazed by the sound quality, Gadget leaned over to her sister and quietly said, "This PA system is awesome, LaWahini. Considering the music is playing on a pianissimo-like level now, the signal-to-noise ratio must exceed 115 to one."

"It's better than the one at the Rodent City Music Hall, huh?"

"Way better. I wish I had found such high-quality parts back then. Remind me to upgrade it when I find some time."

"You mean you built their speaker system?"

Gadget nodded.

"Hey Gadget," Sparky whispered, "Buzz can get you whatever parts you need."

"Thank you, Sparky!" Gadget replied.

The former lab rat was about to tell her to thank Buzz instead of him when, as soon as the theme was played for the second time, his and the twin sisters' attention shifted back to the stage where the heavy red curtain was pulled away to both sides and revealed a single sheet of thin white fabric which hung down from high above the stage to the floor. White lights illuminated the stage from behind and projected the shadows of the orchestra onto this white screen, but left out the area above. For the first time, the melody was played in its entirety.

When the next repetition commenced and the number of instruments playing increased again, the upper part of the white sheet which had remained dark turned into a projection surface for light effects which were shot onto its visible side. "Golly," Gadget commented, "they've got scaled-down Varilights? Now I'm really impressed!"

Two seats farther to the right, Dale expressed a different opinion. "Bawwwwring..."

He managed to upset Chip who had enjoyed the music and the light show until then. "So, what's so boring about it?"

"Where's the singer, Chip? The action on stage? We don't even see the stage! Where are the electric guitars?"

"Dale, I don't think there will be electric guitars. this isn't a heavy metal concert. And if Todd said there'll be a singer, there'll be one."

Another four times was the famous theme repeated, far fewer than originally composed, bug always played by more instruments than the previous time, and slowly raising the volume. In the middle of the fourth and last repetition, a single white spotlight projected the silhouette of a rose onto the middle of the white sheet while the whole orchestra played and the piece of music approached its climax. The very moment that the key changed from C major to E major, the sheet was detached and fell upon the stage floor.

Not only the orchestra was visible now, but also something that stood in the center of the stage, amidst the musicians, and that resembled a rose. The stem was a straight pipe painted green and with thorns attached to it, and it carried on top of it, at a height of twelve inches, a platform made of polished aluminum upon which the four-inch-tall red bloom stood. It was illuminated by the already known white spotlight from behind and a red one from ahead which had been lit up when the white cloth had been dropped. In front of this artificial rose, stairs made of the same material as the platform led down to the stage. Mouse members of the stage crew tried to stay unnoticed while they removed the white sheet.

The Bolero went on for about half a minute and back to C major before this instrumental overture ended. And it ended spectacularly. When the rhythm stopped and the orchestra went into the ending, all lights on stage were shut down with the sole exception of the one spotlight that shone upon the rose and switched from red to white. Together with the final notes which sounded as though they tumbled down, the petals of the rose did just that.

Up on the platform, where the bloom used to be, a female chipmunk stood and held her arms up in the air as if to form the letter 'Y'. A slim, strapless, glittering black dress with long slits on both sides flowed down her body and legs and almost onto the floor. She was wearing only little make-up, but she didn't look like someone who needed to be painted all over to be beautiful. In her right hand, she held a piece of technological marvel, a rodent-sized wireless microphone. She smiled at the bewildered audience, yet she did not say a word, nor did she move at all.

In the first row, two chipmunks got up from their seats. They had seen her before, and they had heard her sing before. And although this had been more than twenty years ago, they both recognized her easily and said her name.

"Clarice..."

* * *


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Chipmunk Divine

Chip and Dale could hardly believe their eyes. They were so busy gasping that they even forgot to clap. There she was, she who used to be the chipmunk of their dreams back in the mid-80s when they all were much younger. Oh, how they did fight for her, how they pulled tricks on one another to beat the respective competitor, and be it only for a mere few seconds with her until the other struck back.

So this was what had happened to her. She was big in the showbiz now, larger than life, so to speak. They remembered her as a cute girlie who sang at a jazz club in Manhattan, accompanied by either some small combo or Chip and Dale themselves. And now she was a diva doing her own large-scale show in Vegas with her own orchestra. If she had been a star back then, what was she now?

Keeping the smile on her face like she was expected to, that is, like she expected herself to, Clarice gazed all over the audience as far as the spotlight shining in her face allowed. Below her, unseen in the darkness, the musicians handed the artificial petals that had fallen upon them to crew members who carried them away to the backstage area. She didn't have to search for long, for Armando had kept his word and placed those whom she was looking for right before the stage. Her heart filled up with joy as she saw the two chipmunks. Her biggest and most faithful fans from her time in New York City were there to see the show that meant everything to her, that they helped her resurrect, probably without even knowing. Deep in her mind, she decided to perform just for them.

Meanwhile, Chip and Dale were barely aware of the audience behind them as they stood at the far end of the catwalk, their elbows planted upon the stage floor, their chins resting on their hands, and grinning as if they had traded in their sanities for a pair of backstage tickets.

"Is it still boring, Dale?"

"Pinch me, Chip, I must be dreaming."

"May I bonk you instead?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Chip raised his right fist and swung it down again, but missed Dale completely and just ran his arm through the air. He only had eyes for Clarice and omitted to aim before hitting. He tried another three times before he lost interest and gave up.

Accompanied by a triplet rhythm and some chords from Todd's PDA, the orchestra began to play anew. This time it was a lush, slow piece of music that quietly came sounding from the speakers on both sides of the stage. First, Clarice stood and did not stir, but after a few measures, she lowered her arms and moved the microphone to her mouth.

_"You know that my tears_

_Have kept me awake_

_The longer I'm gone_

_I'll hunger and shake_

_From here to New York_

_I'll wait out of time_

_With you in my heart_

_The Chipmunk Divine."_

Clear yet powerful, her voice filled the hall. For the first time ever, Chip and Dale heard her sing over a public address system which had not been necessary at the small jazz clubs where she used to sing back then. Besides, this was a style the boys had never heard her sing before, not to mention that she did not sound like a girlie at all anymore.

The first verse was over, the rhythm grew more powerful while holding its original tempo, and Clarice slowly descended the stairs which led down from the platform, step by step, and sang the second verse.

_"So won't you come close..."_ She motioned those who watched her, specifically two chipmunks, to approach. The lyrics of the first verse already made clear whom she addressed with this song. None of the Rangers really knew that she had sung them for two and a half years without her two old fans ever hearing them.

_"Bring this to an end_

_With this giant rose_

_My love I will send_

_You'll light up the night_

_Like spotlights so bright_

_With you in my heart_

_The Chipmunk Divine."_

Another spotlight lit up and illuminated Melissa who had gotten up and played a violin solo. Clarice began to slowly and gently dance down the catwalk. For the first half of the solo, she kept her eyes closed, for the second half, she kept them on Chip and Dale. When the violin solo was over, she sang again.

_"With you,"_ she pointed at the two gasping chipmunk guys in front of whom she was standing meanwhile, _"in my heart,"_ and then pulled her left hand back and laid it onto her chest.

_"The Chipmunk Divine."_ She knelt down and gave them a smile, hiding her own excitement like only a professional can. She even resisted the urge to ruffle through Dale's hair tuft, even more so when she noticed a mouse and a bat sitting next to two vacant seats and glaring jealously at her.

She got up again, and with the orchestra going full blast, she repeated the first verse. Although she was standing again, she was still close enough for Chip and Dale to hear her natural voice.

_"You know that my tears_

_Have kept me awake_

_The longer I'm gone_

_I'll hunger and shake_

_From here to New York_

_I'll wait out of time_

_With you in my heart_

_The Chipmunk Divine."_

Towards the end of the song, Clarice raised her voice and repeated the title of the song and the name of the show while Chip and Dale were grasped from behind by a hand and a wing respectively and pulled back to their seats.

_"The Chipmunk Divine,_

_The Chipmunk Divine."_

Frantic applause followed before the last chord ended. Clarice stood and waited for the audience to quiet down. Gadget and Foxglove decided not to question Chip and Dale about their suspicions as to their reactions upon seeing the diva, and also if, and if yes, how she happened to know them, and to wait for a break or the end of the show instead.

When the clapping had gotten quieter than her voice on the PA, Clarice spoke up. "Good evening, Las Vegas!" The noises from the audience temporarily gained volume, and she waited for another short while.

"It's nice to see so many of you found the time to more or less spontaneously attend my show, and that you like it, no matter how long I've been out of practice. Well, and it's of course nice to be back on stage with the Chipmunk Divine after a... very long break. And it was probably as much a surprise to me as it was to you. Seriously, I didn't know this morning that I'd be back on stage this evening. And I'd like to thank those who made my comeback possible. First of all, there's my synthesizer player, Todd!"

The white mouse got a spotlight and a lot of applause of his own. Despite his quite exposed place within the orchestra, he rarely got either. And Clarice's gratefulness made him feel double proud. His thoughts of staying with the orchestra for only one night were gone.

"Thank you, Todd, for coming back to the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra and performing together with us tonight. And I'd also like to thank a very special team who came here from far away and dedicate this show to them. Ladies and gentlemen, from New York, New York... the Rescue Rangers!"

More applause followed. Some of the Rangers were sure, though, that Clarice did in fact only mean Chip and Dale. It might have been only natural for two chipmunk lads to go nuts about a chipmunk lass, but Clarice's behavior made clear that she knew them.

Apart from Chip's affection towards the singer, Gadget was worried about something else. Now everyone in the audience knew that the Rangers were there, and thanks to the bright spotlights which were shining upon them, it was also clear where they were sitting. If Fat Cat or Francis and either one's gang were at the show, too, the Rangers would be an easy target. But although she remained alerted, she decided not to let it ruin the show for her.

And the show went on. Accompanied by the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra, Clarice sang song for song, many of which were written and composed for the show, while a few were cover versions, sometimes with re-written lyrics like the opener. A colorful assortment of songs of many styles and easily as many facets as a diamond made up the show. Larger-than-life orchestral arrangements, almost like movie themes from the 40s or 50s, met jazz tunes with sparse as well as broad accompaniment, lush, balladesque compositions, hot Latin rhythms, and even driving disco beats. Not always did the songs involve the whole orchestra, there were pieces of music without Todd's synthetic sounds, some even only played by Armando or Clarice herself on the piano, certain jazz numbers had nothing but acoustic drums, bass, and horns, and a few modern-sounding songs featured Todd as the only musician accompanying the singer. Sometimes, Armando joined Clarice in the singing. The orchestra had a lot of solists, but no-one played as many solos as Melissa who was allowed to move about the stage freely, always tracked by a spotlight, when she played a solo. Not rarely did she walk past Todd or even stand beside him when he had a more important role in a song. Those who watched them largely agreed that this had little to do with coincidence.

The show went on for two and a half hours, and even after three encores, the audience didn't have enough yet and shouted out for more. After all, even those who had seen the show before were happy to have it back after half a year. The spectators watched as Clarice spoke to Armando who sat at the piano and then went around and talked to the rest of the orchestra. Another song followed, sung by Armando, and for the first time since the overture, Clarice was not on stage which the audience soon noticed. They wondered if something was wrong with her that she left the stage and had her orchestra play the last encore.

* * *


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: To The Good Old Times

Clarice rushed through the backstage area and the secret alleyways and staircases in the building until she reached her apartment. She almost fell into it as she opened the door. "Where've I put it?" she shouted, panting and trying to catch her breath. "I'm almost sure I've still got it somewhere." She turned on the lights and went from display to display until she stood in front of one with a particular old dress in it. "Here's hoping it still fits me."

Down on the stage, the same song was going on and on with a series of solos performed by practically every musician who ever had a solo at any of Clarice's shows. Armando had his hands on the piano keyboard, but his eyes were on the stage exit. The song had grown more than ten minutes long when he gave the other musicians a sign by nodding and went into the chorus for one last time. When the song was over, he got up and left the stage. For he had received what he considered his cue.

Clarice came back after what she supposed to be a record time. When Chip and Dale saw her, their jaws almost dropped onto their laps. She wore an light blue dress, a golden stole, and a flower-shaped cap, the very same things they remembered her wearing in her early jazz club girlie days. She walked straight to the end of the catwalk and spoke into her microphone, "Well, since tonight is a very special night with a very special occasion, I'd like to see two guys on stage who sometimes played for me back in my New York days."

Chip and Dale knew she meant them, not only because she motioned them to join her on stage. They exchanged glances with Gadget and Foxglove who both had the same hunch as to what was going on, and what parts of their pasts their respective chipmunks hadn't told them about yet.

"She might not want to help us if we don't play along," Chip explained to Gadget, "and then everything would've been in vain."

"You know what she wants from you and Dale?" Gadget asked.

"Yes..."

"So, how come I don't know?"

"I promise you I'll tell you later. Besides, I don't even know if I still can do it. I've been out of practice for more than twenty years."

"Are you guys done with your excuses?" a voice said. Chip and Dale turned and saw Clarice squatting by the edge of the catwalk.

"Now go," Foxglove said, clueless as to what to expect, "if it helps us on our case."

Clarice smiled. "I'm sure it will. Now come on up here."

Chip and Dale stood up and entered the stage via the stairs on both sides of the catwalk, and Clarice introduced them, "Ladies and gentlemen, here are Mr. Chip Maplewood and Mr. Dale Oakmont!" This was the first time ever that she used their last names which she didn't even know a day ago.

She took down her microphone. "Okay, guys, I hope you haven't forgotten everything."

"I hope so, too," Chip said.

"Aw c'mon," Dale tried to encourage him, "you don't forget such things that easily. After all, we've done it often enough. It's gonna be fun."

"Yeah, a lot of fun, with Gadget and Foxy watching..."

"Guys, there's no way back now," Clarice reminded them.

It was amazing to be on stage with Clarice, Chip had to admit, but it had also begun to feel wrong. He expected Gadget to be faithful, no matter how much Allan would flirt with her, and now he was with the hottest and most gorgeous chipmunk girl he had ever met, the one he had fought for with his buddy Dale for two years. He wasn't deeply in love with her like he was with Gadget, and neither was he as obsessed as Todd, but she had been well worth the fighting, and she probably still was. He saw Armando return onto the stage and push forward an additional grand piano upon which a three-string upright bass made from a pencil and a matchbox was lying.

After hauling the instruments to the far end of the catwalk and leaning the bass against the piano, the armadillo sat down behind the same grand piano he had been playing all night and began to play. Clarice waited for her cue until she began to sing one of her classics, a song called My Destiny. There was no decoration to sit or lie upon, the rose platform had been removed after her first song, and lying on either of the pianos was out of question, too, since their lids stood open.

My Destiny. This was exactly what the two Rangers had expected her to do, make them repeat the same old show and the same old game as back then. However, they both decided to play along. After all, she was the one who should lead them through the building on their way down to the vault. They both hoped she wouldn't want them to go farther, though, and that she had noticed their female company. Then again, there was no being sure what Clarice was able and willing to do to get what she wanted, whatever she wanted.

Chip slowly walked over to the second piano. He figured he might be heading straight for a trap, but this part of his way promised to be at least a bit of fun. He remembered how he enjoyed playing along with Dale to Clarice's singing. He waited for his cue before he joined the playing. When Armando and Clarice stopped, Chip took over and raised the tempo from moderate to fast as if to impress Clarice. It was truly astonishing how few of his piano playing skills he had lost, what with Monty taking over the piano player's part on most cases which required one.

Dale played the jealous chipmunk when he saw Clarice sing along to Chip's piano playing. He grabbed the bass and plucked it wildly, drawing Clarice's attention to him. A brief duel between piano and bass was carried out while the singer stood and enjoyed what she had missed for more than two decades. Of course, this was not part of her show, nor was it up to par with the regular material, but this was way too much fun to let the chance pass by.

Both Chip and Dale got carried away by their duel. They felt like being back at the Acorn Club, years before the Rescue Rangers were founded, and years before they met Gadget or even Foxglove. All that mattered was outplaying each other and winning a musical game with Clarice as the prize. The other Rangers sat on their seats and tried hard to believe what these two of their teammates were doing up there. Tammy remembered the drag show they did at Fat Cat's casino, providing the rotund feline with a theme song, but this was an entirely different league. Even Chip seemed to see it as fun rather than his job.

The game went on for two minutes, longer than ever at the Acorn Club. And when they saw what happened then, both Gadget and Foxglove felt like having to tear the arm rests off of their seats when they watched Clarice kiss first Dale and then Chip. She kissed them onto their cheeks, but she kissed them. After that, they were given two microphones, left their instruments, and joined Clarice in singing another song named Little Girl, accompanied by Armando only. They were clearly having way too much fun. Their two girlfriends had to remind themselves of the case and its potential importance to not stand up and leave the show in protest.

Lots of applause and standing ovations were easily proof enough that the rest of the audience, including those who had seen the show many times before, enjoyed these unusual encores. Clarice motioned the two guys to stand next to her which they did. She looked to her left where Dale was standing, to her right where she saw Chip, and asked, speaking into her microphone, "So, guys, what about the great finale?"

"Finale?" Dale wondered. "What d'ya mean?" He did not use his microphone.

"C'mon, I gave you something, and I'd like you to give me... something... similar in return."

"If you think we're gonna kiss each other while you duck away," Chip said, also without his microphone, "you'd better think twice."

This time, Clarice whispered right into Chip's ear. "Don't you guys want me to do something for you? Wasn't that why you came here? And can't I expect you to do me a favor then?" She then turned to Dale. "Play along, or forget your case."

Chip gave Dale a sign. They stepped back to behind Clarice, and Chip whispered, "Have you heard it? If we don't do this kissing stunt, we can pack our things and fly back to New York City without the gems. Or sit and wait until they happen to leave the palace. Got it?"

"Got it," Dale approved before they returned to their previous positions. They smiled at Clarice, and she smiled back. Then they closed their eyes, moved towards her, and tried to ignore the embarrassment when they would kiss each other instead of her.

But to their surprise, Clarice did something she had never done at the Acorn Club which was the reason why they didn't add this to the show very often. She remained standing, and they both placed one big smooch each upon her cheeks. The entire orchestra picked up the theme of Little Girl and replayed it, irritating the two chipmunks even more before they could regain their senses and draw themselves back. And even when they did, she laid her arms around them and forced them to bow down together with her. They received another wave of applause.

Clarice let go of them again. "Thank you," she said, "thank you everybody out there for coming here to see my show, the Chipmunk Divine. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. And thank you, Chip and Dale, for joining me on stage after so many years. You may be heroes where you come from, but you guys were born for the showbiz." She waved at the audience with the hand in which she didn't hold a microphone and added a "Good night, everyone, and see you soon!" before she headed back for the stage and the heavy red curtains closed behind her with perfect timing. Chip and Dale left the stage, too, before the ceiling lights lit up again.

"Too-ra-loo!" Monty was the first of the other Rangers to say something. "This was one bonzer show fer sure! I've seen quite a number o' shows when Geegaw an' I were 'ere, but this topped everything! An' you guys musta 'ad yer share o' fun, too."

"Yeah," Dale said, "fun..."

Foxglove got up. "Oh, I'm sure you've had your fun. Especially when you kissed that... that..."

Chip took over. "Foxy, please. And Gadget, before you say something, and I'm sure you want to say something similar, let me reassure you it was all just part of the show. We had to play along and kiss her, or else she wouldn't cooperate with us."

"Oh?" Gadget replied. "Then please explain me why the two of you were on stage with her. And only the two of you."

"Long story," Chip said. "I'll tell you when we've got enough time. Right now, we need to catch our contact. Come on, eyes on the case now."

Meanwhile, Melissa and Todd were standing in the backstage area. She had helped him carry his PDA from the stage. "Well," she said and smiled at him, "it was very nice to be back here and perform the show. I liked your playing very much, Todd."

"Yes, I enjoyed it, too," Todd said, not smiling back.

Melissa took her violin case from the shut-down PDA. "So, guess I'm leaving now. Care to walk along with me?"

"Uh, no... I've got something to do here. Might get a bit later tonight."

"Can I help you?"

"No! Um, I mean, no, I don't need any help, it wouldn't be anything for you anyway. Thanks for your offer, but... no."

"Well, then..." She gave him another smile. "Good night. And see you at the next rehearsal. Or maybe earlier."

"Sure... if there'll be another show... Good night, Melissa."

Their ways parted there. Melissa left the backstage area and headed for the exit. Songs from the show were still sounding in her head vividly. But the rest of her mind was stuck on Todd. 'What a pity he doesn't come with me. It's such a beautiful night, and we haven't seen each other for half a year. I wonder what he's got to do here at the palace this late...' She stepped out of the building into the chilly night air, but stopped immediately. "Yes, what can someone like Todd have to do in a place like this at a time like now? I don't know what sort of trouble he's about to get himself into, but he certainly is about to get himself into some trouble. Even bigger trouble if Clarice is involved."

She turned around and went back to the backstage area. But when she arrived there, both Todd and the PDA were gone.

* * *


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Jealousy

"So we're gonna meet our contact person here?" LaWahini asked as the Rangers entered the hall outside the theater.

"That's what we were told, yes," Tammy said.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's not him." The former Hawaiian mouse pointed at a certain short rat in a brown suit who began to applaud as soon as he saw the Rangers.

"Bravo! Bravissimo!" Allan shouted. "I've never seen the original finale of this show, but it can't be any better than yours!"

A part of Chip wished this wasn't real. "Allan?! What are you doing here?"

"I was told this was the best piece of entertainment for our likes in the whole city, and it was to return for maybe only one night. I swear I didn't know you were here, too, let alone you were part of the show. You must really have enjoyed your time in the limelight."

"Oh, you can bet they did," Gadget almost growled.

"Gadget, you've just seen a marvelous Las Vegas show, why are you so angry? Oh, I hope you don't mind me calling you Gadget, do you?"

"Of course not, Allan." Gadget's mood improved within mere seconds, and she smiled again. "It's just..."

Before she could continue her explanations, Allan and the Rangers were distracted by loud rattling noises coming from a large door at the end of a corridor. "You stupid door, open up!" Todd's voice could be heard from the other side."

"Sounds like 'e needs 'elp," Monty said, and the Rangers went to help him open the door, that is, not all Rangers.

Gadget was about to go with them when Allan made her a better offer. "Maybe a cool nightly breeze will clear up your mind. Mind if I accompany you outside?"

"No," Gadget replied, "why should I?"

In the meantime, Chip tried to open the door from his side, but he tried in vain. "Todd," he called, "can it be that it's locked?"

"It's not locked," Todd answered, "it just gets stuck often."

"Step aside, Chipper," Monty said, "an' let me give it a try." He went a few steps away from the door, and the other Rangers made way. "'Ey Todd," the Aussie mouse shouted, "ya'd better get outta the way, too!"

"Okay! Wait a minute!" Some noises could be heard which did not sound like Todd's walking. "Ready!"

It was a whole lot of mouse that rushed for the door and hit it, unjamming it and sending it against the wall to the side. Monty's impact on the door was notably overdosed, so even on the other side of the door, he was still in motion and unable to stop himself. He hit Todd's PDA which was standing in the corridor on its wooden stand, slid over its top, and went tumbling behind it before he came to a halt.

The other Rangers came through the door to see if something had happened to him. Tammy helped him up. "Monty, are you alright?"

"Fer sure, Tammy lass." Monty brushed himself off as though he had landed in something dusty. "But I can tell ya that slidin' down a glacier in the Swiss Alps is a lot more fun, also 'cause it lasts longer."

"What lasts longer? The bumps and bruises from your landing?"

"That, too, yeah. But mostly it's the reputation ya get among the groundhogs."

Todd checked his small computer for damages, but he didn't find any. "Say, did you like the show, Rescue Rangers?" he asked.

"Todd," Monty said, "I've been all 'round the world. Several times, I don't know 'ow many. But I've never seen or 'eard somethin' like this. Would sure be a pity if ya dropped it again."

"Oh yes," Tammy added to it, "even if I don't know how many of the songs were written for the show, I liked it very much."

"It was truly amazing how acoustic instruments worked so perfectly together with an electronic instrument," Sparky gave his opinion, "actually, even only software running on a handheld computer." Todd grinned. Sparky truly knew what he was talking about, especially the computer part.

Foxglove stood with her wings crossed. "I liked it, too... apart from the ending, that is."

"Yes," Todd said, "to be honest, I was quite surprised when I saw what she was really up to. She had told us she was planning something different from what we had always done. We rehearsed some extra music, that is, Armando had to do the most rehearsing as the piano parts were his. But she had not told us what it was all about. She must know you guys very well, Chip and Dale."

"Very well, yes," Foxglove commented, "if she even kissed you and then let you kiss her."

"Foxy," Chip tried to explain, "I swear we didn't expect that... second kissing part either. All the rest was part of a, well, sort of show Dale and I did years before the Rangers were founded. But she never let us kiss her. Whenever we tried, and even that wasn't often, she always ducked away, and we ended up kissing each other. And we expected her to do the same thing again tonight."

"Really?" The bat couldn't help but grin. "That I would've loved to see. It's almost a pity that she remained standing. What do you say, Gadget?" She turned to see where the mouse inventress was. "Gadget? Chip, where's Gadget?"

"Yeah," Dale asked, "an' where's Allan?"

"They're both not here? Well," Chip said, "I'm pretty sure that there's one common answer to both of these questions. Will you excuse me for a minute?" With these words, he stomped off, back to the hall.

"Chip!" Monty shouted after him. "Chipper me lad, don't do anythin' ya'd regret later!"

"I'd rather regret not having done this, Monty!" Chip shouted back and went from walking to running.

Dale shrugged. "I dunno what he's up to."

"But I know," Foxglove said, "and it's not gonna be the Rescue Ranger way." She motioned her friends to come with her. "We probably need to save him from himself. After him, everyone!"

Clarice came down the corridor when the Rangers were leaving. She was still wearing the same light blue dress, but she had put away the cap and the stole. "Todd, what's the commotion here?"

Todd looked at her. He suddenly saw her in a different light, now that the special show was over. "This might not sound like me," he said, "but you've ruined the show."

"What do you mean? Where's everyone going? I thought we wanted to meet here!"

Outside, Gadget and Allan were having a stroll and a talk. "It's a pity we can't see the stars from here," Gadget said, "at least not without an optical aid."

Allan smiled at her. "We would be able to see them if we were up high enough, on the roof of a hotel or on a mast."

Smiling back, Gadget suggested, "We could take the Rangerwing for example, fly up into the air, and just hover there."

"Would you do that with me?"

"Well..." Something caught Gadget's attention, something appearing in the corner of her eye. "I believe there's someone who wouldn't let us!"

She was able to step back just in time before Chip leapt upon Allan, performed an uppercut on him, and tackled him down, all within one fast movement. "HANDS OFF THE MOUSE!"

"Ow! Chip, what are you doing here? What do you want?"

"What I want? WHAT I WANT?" Kneeling upon Allan's stomach, Chip grabbed him by his collar and yelled into his face, "I WANT MY WOMAN BACK! GOT IT?!"

Allan grinned. "Well, when you were on stage in there, it looked like you found a nice substitute, one of your species no less."

"Say that again." Chip punched him once more. "DARE TO SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU SCUM! Listen, and listen well, for I won't tell you twice. I haven't spent eighteen years, yes, EIGHTEEN YEARS OF MY LIFE fighting for this here mouse, PHYSICALLY FIGHTING IF NECESSARY, to let her go with the NEXT BEST RAT WHO'S NOT A BIT BETTER THAN HIS DARNED CROOKED BROTHERS AND WHO MADE US PULL OFF HIS PERSONAL VENDETTA SO HE DOESN'T GET HIS HANDS DIRTY! NO WAY THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN AS LONG AS I'M ALIVE!!!"

Allan stared at Chip. One moment, that chipmunk had been up on the stage, singing and shmoozing around with the star of the show as if there was no Gadget, and one moment later, he was requesting to get his girl back violently, and this girl had practically nothing in common with that singer. Against a Rescue Ranger or not, Allan didn't want to give in that easily. He tried to struggle himself free, but that made Chip even wilder. He was taller, heavier, and physically stronger, but whatever he did, he was no real challenge for Chip who used all the fighting experience he had gathered not only in countless fights with Dale, but also and especially as a Rescue Ranger who had gotten used to defending himself against and even necessarily defeating opponents much larger than even a tall rat.

The next thing Allan saw was a bright flash of lightning. He thought Chip had drawn a sort of Taser or so, but he didn't feel any significant amount of electricity in his body. When he looked up, he saw a weakened, half-unconscious Chip sitting on the ground and held by the hands of a tall blond rat. "Alright, this equals things a bit," he said and got up for his counter-attack on defenseless Chip. But he was rendered unable to get that far by someone who grabbed him from behind. Another glance made him realize that he was surrounded by Rescue Rangers.

"Where do ya think yer goin', mate?" a meanwhile familiar Australian-accented voice asked. Monterey Jack went around him and stood between him and Chip, his collar in a firm grip. "Do ya believe I'm gonna let ya knock me li'l pally senseless?"

"But he attacked me!"

"I don't care fer what 'e did, 'cause 'e surely 'ad a good reason. But there's somethin' you'd better care fer. I've been through jungles o' concrete as well as real ones. I've fought everythin' from stray cats to dingoes to bloomin' crocodiles. I 'elped me ol' friend Geegaw bring up this 'ere sheila," Monty pointed at Gadget with his free hand, "but not ta let 'er end up with a blighter o' your kind. If Chipper beat yer up that badly, guess what I'd do with yer!" Monty pulled him close and snarled, "Right?"

Allan didn't say a word.

"Right, I said?"

"R-right..."

Monty tossed him to the ground. "Ya can be glad that Chip's not armed. Ya should see 'im fence. 'E woulda chopped yer into shishkabob."

"Step aside, Monty," Chip's weak, raspy voice spoke, "I wanna see him."

Monty did so. There was no need to protect a weakened chipmunk and an intimidated rat from each other.

"Alright, Allan," Chip said. "Get up. Get up and leave the city. Or better emigrate, leave the country. For if I ever see you anywhere near my Gadget, I'll hunt you down, no matter if you lead us onto this case or not."

Allan got up and looked at the Rangers, trying to find something to say.

"You're still there," Chip said, "you're still not gone."

After a bit of hesitation, Allan turned around and slowly walked away. The Rangers stood except for Chip who was sitting and watched as he faded away in the distance and the darkness.

"Can someone now please tell me what's going on here?" Clarice had made it to the crowd together with Todd and squeezed herself through the circle of Rescue Rangers. She sat down next to Chip and laid an arm around him. "My poor Chip, what have they done to you?"

"Away from my Chip," Gadget hissed. "You haven't seen me go mad yet."

Chip coughed a few times and said, "It's okay, Gadget, I'll explain. Dale and I have known Clarice since the spring of 1983. We found out she was a singer at the Acorn Club, that little jazz bar under the Coo-Koo Club, that joint named after the soda brand, y'know. Anyway, that one evening, she invited us to see her at the Acorn Club, and neither of us knew that the other had gotten an invitation, too."

"Chip," Clarice interrupted him, "do you have to go into details?"

"Yes, Clarice, I have to. Anyway, we found out when we met each other at the door of her room, and we did what we could to outplay each other. We even continued when she went and sang at the club. We kind of got into accompanying her, me on the piano, Dale on the bass, very much like what you just saw. And yes, she kissed both of us that evening. And no, we didn't kiss her. We tried to, but she got herself out of reach quickly, and Dale and I ended up kissing each other. Few spectators were there except for us, but they liked what we did, and Clarice asked us to do the same show every Saturday night when she sang at the club. Well, we did, because that gave us chances to hit on her. It was fun, it wasn't as serious as it is with you, Gadget, and me, but it was fun. It was over in '85 when Clarice got an offer from Las Vegas and left New York City. So, after more than 20 years of not seeing her, Dale and I got a little carried away when we joined her on stage."

Clarice's eyes widened. "It wasn't serious? I mean, I enjoyed that attention you paid me..."

Dale took up here. "Clarice, neither Chip nor I ever wanted you as a girlfriend. We loved the chasin', but we never really thought about keepin' what we got if we ever got anything."

"Face the facts, Clarice," Chip said again, "it was a game for silly young chipmunks. I'm sure that if it had gotten serious, one of us would have been here with you all the way from the 80s, the other one would be I don't know where, but certainly broken-hearted and with one friend less, and there wouldn't be any Rescue Rangers today." He got up again, still a bit wobbly. "Speaking of which, we've got a case to solve."

* * *


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Old Acquaintances

Clarice didn't move. She didn't say a word. She just stood and stared at the two chipmunks who looked back at her and anticipated any form of reaction from her. She saw the bat lay a wing around Dale. She watched the mouse in the white dress exchange apologies with Chip and help him up. No matter how obvious the facts, she refused to accept them.

"Chip... Dale..." she finally spoke. "That bat..."

"Oh, you mean Foxglove?" Dale said. "Foxy, this is Clarice. Clarice, Foxy."

Foxglove extended her free wing. "Nice to meet a star like you, Clarice. You can be mighty glad that a guy like Dale used to be after you. I wish I'd had it that easy back then."

"You mean you're..." Clarice didn't dare speak further.

"I'm his girlfriend, yes. I met him at a drive-in in summer 1990. He was on a case, and I saved his life." Foxglove nuzzled Dale gently. "I was part of that case, but it was well worth all the trouble."

"I see... And..." Clarice shifted her view to Gadget.

"Hi, I'm Gadget. I've been Chip's girlfriend since last fall. I take it this is what you wanted to know." She smiled and extended a hand, too. "Let me reassure you I enjoyed your show very much, and I'd offer you to improve your public address system if there was anything to improve."

"She's our technician," Chip explained. "And she's a founding member of the Rescue Rangers, a part of the team since we joined in 1988. I fell in love with her pretty much on the first day, but it took us a while to establish our relationship."

"So she is the tinkerer the rodent press writes about?"

Chip, Dale, and Gadget nodded.

"Let's see if I got it right. Chip, your girl is a geek who seems to spend more time in her workshop than with you, not to forget that she's a mouse?"

"You'll like her a lot more, once you've gotten to know her better," Chip defended Gadget.

"And Dale," Clarice pointed at the red-nosed chipmunk, "your girl is a fluttering thing that's not even a rodent, that's got wings for hands, and that scares humans senseless?"

"Aww," Dale said, "Foxy's too cute to scare anyone senseless."

"With the exception of Nimnul and Mom," Gadget added, "but otherwise, Dale's right."

Clarice crossed her arms. "Alright, will you guys now please explain me what your girls have that I'm lacking?"

"Clarice," Chip pointed out, "didn't we already have enough cases of jealousy tonight? Besides, as I already said, there's a case to be solved."

"Then solve it without me. I'm outta this... case." She turned her back on the Rangers and was about to walk away, but looked over her shoulder and asked, "What did you want in the vault anyway? If you think I'll help you go Oakmont's Eleven and empty the palace so you can beef up your team and your lifestyle?"

Dale laughed out. "Oakmont's Eleven. Heh, I like that!"

Chip stepped forward and placed himself into Clarice's way. He looked around if anyone was within earshot, and as he didn't see anyone, he told her, "As a matter of fact, yes, Clarice, we think you'll help us go Oakmont's Eleven, especially because this'll be Dale's case as he's our heist expert. But we don't want to 'empty the palace' as you said. We're only interested in the content of one particular locker."

"Well, a burglary is a burglary. I thought you were the crime-fighters and not criminals yourself."

"We are crime-fighters, and what you call a a burglary is part of our case. Listen, Clarice. This locker contains a box with fourteen different gems. These gems were stolen in New York City yesterday, and our job is to bring them back to their owner."

"Besides," Gadget continued the explanation, "the gems are practically in the hands of an insane scientist named Professor Norton Nimnul who's disguising as an Elvis imitator. This Professor Nimnul was able to build a mobile laser cannon powerful enough to cut an iceberg into pieces with one single ruby, now imagine what he could do with fourteen gemstones! And that was nineteen years ago, today's technologies allow for far more sophisticated constructions. If you help us tonight, we might save Las Vegas or even the whole world!"

Clarice tried hard to grasp what she had been told. "A crazy scientist. Building an iceberg-cutting laser cannon with one ruby in it."

"That was it, yes," Chip confirmed.

"And... what did he do then?"

"If I told you that he worked for a criminal mastermind and used the ice from the iceberg to make a giant Jell-o in a cave under New York City with which he created an earthquake to crack a vault from underneath, would you believe it?"

Clarice remained silent for a few seconds, then she answered, "I have to believe it. I don't have much of a choice. I've got the newspaper clippings from that case, you know. That gangster claimed some chipmunks had spoiled his plans, and I knew few chipmunks who were crazy enough to pull that off. So if it's him this scientist worked for, if this scientist is really that dangerous, and if you're the only ones who can stop this madman, I'm back on your case. C'mon, we're going to my apartment. Oh, and don't forget your equipment." She pointed at the two Ranger aircraft and the large filled bags inside of them.

Clarice went ahead, Todd was second, and the Rangers followed them. On their way to Clarice's place, Todd and Sparky picked up the PDA and carried it with them. It was safe from Sparky's charge because he carried it by the wooden stand. Todd mentioned that it would be of importance for their mission. The other Rangers carried their personal bags, LaWahini took Sparky's back voluntarily, and Monty had heaved the large field headquarters bag onto one shoulder.

The group of small animals marched—and flew, in one case—through alleyways in the walls and ceilings of the Versailles Palace unknown to and well hidden from the humans, and after a while, they stopped in front of a tall door with a golden star on it. Clarice unlocked and opened it and motioned the others to enter. "Entrez!" Once again, like before in the show, she demonstrated her flawless pronunciation of the French language. Most of the Rangers neither fully understood nor spoke French, yet they knew or guessed at least what she meant and entered.

Next to the record table, Clarice made way for the PDA which Todd placed there. The Rangers just stood and gazed around. They had seen a lot, including luxurious facilities of a dog actress who worked for humans, but they had never seen a place like this, let alone belonging to an animal star of whose existence the humans were probably not even aware. An entire floor of the Rescue Rangers Headquarters back in New York City would fit into the room they were in. "Um," Clarice said, "I know we've got enough time not to rush things, but would you please close your mouths and come here?"

The nine Rangers felt like awaking from a trance. As he regained his common sense, Chip answered, "Uh, sure. By the way, what do you mean with, 'we've got enough time not to rush things?'"

"What I mean is the answer to one of the questions the preparation of tonight's mission requires to be answered, and that is the schedule of the security personnel. One of my secret ways between the stage and this here place leads me through an air duct and past several air vents from which I can see when the security people do what. Roughly, that is. And I know that security is at top level as long as the palace grants its customers access to what they've stored in the vault."

"And that's how long?" LaWahini asked.

"Until midnight," Clarice answered her. "Heh, I still need to get used to two of your kind being around." She leaned back in the armchair in which she was sitting. "Which leads me to a question for a change. Who are you, the Rescue Rangers, and what led you together?"

"Well, as the leader of the Rescue Rangers..." Chip started, but Dale interrupted him. "But not the mission leader tonight, 'cause that's me..."

"Sure you are, Dale... Anyway, it was that Klordane case Dale and I stumbled upon in 1988. We were friends with a police dog named Plato who retired after the case together with his guide, Detective Donald Drake. What we believed to be a simple case of a stolen ruby turned out to be far more complicated. Klordane made the police believe Drake had stolen the ruby after he had retrieved it from one of Klordane's henchmen, so Drake and Plato were arrested, and we promised Plato to take over. Fat Cat, Klordane's pet who had already been a gangster boss himself back then, snatched the ruby from Klordane and showed it off at his casino. We followed him to the docks where we met these two fellows," Chip slapped Monty on whose shoulder Zipper was sitting on the back, "Monterey Jack and Zipper."

Monty bowed forward towards Clarice. "Monterey Jack's me name, an' adventure's me game." He gently took her hand in his and kissed it, supporting himself on the table with the other hand. "Lady, I've been everywhere in the world an' then some, an' I've seen a lot on me journeys fer sure, but calln' you an' yer show amazin' would be an understatement."

Clarice smiled at Monty. She had recognized his slang easily. "Ah, so you're the Australian muscle mouse? Well, how do you say down under? G'day mate!" Of course, her Aussie dialect wasn't half as well-trained as her French. "Or don't you say that?"

Monty snickered. "Actually, no, we don't say that... this late in th' evenin'. It's a cliché anyway, an' I guess we say it jes' 'cause it's one, an' 'cause everyone expects us ta. Oh, an' this is me ol' pally, Zipper."

Zipper greeted Clarice, too, but she didn't understand what he spoke. He took her hand and shook it with a strength she would never have expected from a housefly. "Wow, you're surely strong," she said. "Nice to meet you, Zipper."

"Well," Chip took up again, "Monty and Zipper helped us foil one of Fat Cat's criminal plans, but we couldn't get our hands on the ruby. Fat Cat took it back to Klordane who flew to Glacier Bay with it. It was there where Nimnul cut an iceberg with his laser cannon with that ruby in it. Monty took us to where an old friend of his lived who should fly us to Glacier Bay in his plane, but all we met there was his daughter, Gadget."

A bit reluctantly, Gadget shook hands with Clarice. "Golly, sorry again for all the jealousy."

"It's okay," Clarice replied, "guess I stick to the past too firmly and too often. I need to kick that habit in a case or two and get used to my old friends having girlfriends. So, what did Gadget do for you?"

"She flew us to Glacier Bay with her dad's plane," was Chip's answer. "It was destroyed there, but she built the Rangerplane, the one with the red balloon, as a replacement. We couldn't stop Nimnul and had to ride his flying iceberg back to New York."

"So these people in Canada who claimed they had seen a flying iceberg according to the newspapers had no hallucinations," Clarice said.

"Nope, they saw a real flying iceberg. Astonishing how little Nimnul cared for having witnesses. He might have hoped they'd be declared as loony as he himself is. Well, you know the rest of the case, I think, and now you know the story behind the five original Rangers. We were about to go separate ways after that case, but there was immediately another one to solve. So, as there was a lot of work of that kind to do for a team of our kind, we stayed together and rebuilt Dale's and my place in the park into our headquarters. And last year, we welcomed four new members, all of whom we had already known before. First of all," Chip stretched out an arm towards the red-headed squirrel, "this is Tammy. We met her the same year on another case. She was living in a tree right outside Chinatown with her parents and her little sister Bink when we literally crashed into their place. Tammy helped us fight Fat Cat and solve the case even though she was only a 15-year-old teenager back then."

Dale added, "She only helped us because she had a crush on Chip."

Both Chip and Tammy turned towards him. "Dale!"

"What? I only said the truth."

Clarice giggled about Dale's comment. "Chip, you're such a heart-breaker."

"You're so right," Tammy said as she shook hands with Clarice, "but you can't blame him for being cute."

Chip blushed for a few seconds. "Ahem. Okay, the next we met was Sparky here. He and his guinea pig friend Buzz were misused as lab animals by Professor Nimnul who had brainwashed them into cracking bank vaults with a giant mechanic guinea pig. We put an end to this, too, and Buzz and Sparky left for Boston, Massachusetts, in the mechanic guinea pig. They came to visit us from time to time, and Sparky stayed in New York City after the MIT had no use for him in contrast to Buzz who's a mascot there. Oh, please understand you'd better not shake hands with him unless he's wearing insulating gloves. He generates his own electricity."

"This explains his hairdo," Clarice supposed, "or what he has got instead."

Sparky waved at her. "Allow me to give you a good advice. Never try to stop a motivated guinea pig. Because that's impossible."

"He might be quirky at times, and his short-term memory is anything but reliable," Chip explained, "but he's clever, he knows a lot about science, and you never know when a living, breathing power plant comes in handy, or someone who handles electricity as easily as he does." He then went over to LaWahini. "Clarice, you've already noticed that we've got two Gadgets in our team. Of course, we don't really. Can you imagine that Gadget's twin sister LaWahini used to be a villain and one of our opponents?"

Clarice noticed LaWahini's particular expression, the way she looked, it was somewhere between mischievous and malicious, but certainly not as overtly nice and friendly as Gadget. Yet she didn't say more than, "Hardly. Given you've been through a lot of cases, nothing seems to be really impossible, but this is hard to believe."

"We met her on our Hawaiian vacation in '89. Back then, she was called Lawhiney, and not even Gadget knew she was her twin sister. LaWahini—that is, rather Lawhiney talked Gadget into taking three highly hazardous tests in lieu of herself which were required for her to become the Queen of the tribe of mice she lived with. Gadget was almost killed three times, Dale, Monty, and I were almost grilled in a propane-burning artificial volcano which Lawhiney controlled, but we made it in the end. Seventeen years later, Gadget's dad came back, we freed his wife and Gadget's mom, long story, by the way, they told us that Lawhiney was Gadget's sister, and they went to Hawaii with Gadget to bring her back. Instead of evil Lawhiney, they brought back a Gadget look-alike named LaWahini who swore never to set a foot onto Hawaiian soil again."

"I spent most of my life in a village inhabited by the stupidest mice you can imagine," LaWahini explained, "and this did include my boyfriend in whose head there's room for hardly more than surfing and crafting surfboards. Granted, I wasn't as nice to them as I might be expected to. I had my share of struggle with the Rescue Rangers, and one day in the mid-90s, I got banned from the village and had to move onto a volcano, so I was glad when my family came to take me home. I had never seen my father before, I had lost my mother when I was five, and my only encounter with my sister before that day was when she and her Ranger friends spoiled my plans of being crowned. I'm trying to make up for everything by being a Ranger myself."

"And I must say she's pretty good in it... in her own way," Chip said before he walked over to the red bat. "Last but not least, this is Foxglove, the other Ranger who can fly without the help of any contraption. She had been the familiar of a cleaning woman and wannabe witch for some time when we met her. Needless to say we had to battle that woman. That is, in the end, Foxglove and Dale did most of the battling, and they got what they deserved for their victory, namely each other."

Foxglove took Clarice's hand with her wing and shook it. "I hope we'll get along although I'm together with Dale."

Clarice smiled. "Oh, don't worry about that, Foxglove. I think I've learned not to go between couples as happy as you and Dale, or as Chip and Gadget." She leaned back again. "Well, since I know now who you are and where you came from, it's just fair to tell you my story so you get to know me better. Is it okay with you?" The Rangers agreed.

* * *


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Story Of A Star

"Alright," Clarice began her tale, "you already know I was a singer at a jazz club in Manhattan called the Acorn Club. I got that engagement in 1983, I was nineteen then. But I knew how to entertain the guests, and I had my share of fun, too, especially when these two certain chipmunks came. In '85, on a day when Chip and Dale weren't there, someone came up to me and told me he was from Las Vegas, and I was what he had been looking for, and he asked me to sign up for a job in Vegas. I knew I'd miss the Acorn Club and Chip and Dale, but I believed that was my big chance. I could've gone to Broadway, too, but Broadway's just not my world, being part of a musical cast and all that. I told the guys about it, we said goodbye, and one week later, I was here in Vegas.

"But I quickly asked myself if it was worth it, if there was any improvement, compared with the Acorn Club. The place I had to perform at was in no way better. It was actually so shabby that I could as well have gone to, say, Atlantic City or so. Even the piano was badly out of tune. The show was nice only when the audience was nice, but even that was often not the case, so I smiled and sang before the audience and cried my heart out in the backstage area. No matter what I did, no matter what happened, the rats I worked for didn't want to let me go. Several attempts at catching a plane and flying back to New York City failed, and the one single time that I managed to get back, they found me before I could find Chip and Dale.

"A few days before Christmas '86, this armadillo entered the bar. He must've sensed I wasn't happy with what I did and where I did it. He introduced himself to me as Armando and said he'd rescue me. Armando's a nice guy, but when you're a rat, and an armadillo is towering above you, you don't believe that at first. Armando told these guys to let me go, and so they did, 'cause they knew better than to mess with someone several times their weight. I packed my things and went with Armadillo. I didn't know what he meant with 'rescuing me,' but it couldn't get any worse. He got me a singing job at some Tiki bar on the Strip. He also took me to a lot of human shows, and when I asked him why, he said that his dream was to do such a show with small animals. From then on, that was my dream, too.

"My own show grew and grew with the years passing. First, it was just me singing and Mandy playing the piano, he's a great piano player. Then, we did a lot with a few more musicians. For example, we toured from place to place for two years with a second piano player, we went as far as Reno with that show, but traveling wasn't easy for three small animals plus their gear. In 1990, we had a small combo, piano, drums, and a real upright bass, nothing made of a pencil. By and by, the combo grew, we got a couple of horns and such... Well, couple of horns, that's what I thought, it was still a nicely small combo, but when I sang Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve '93, the combo that accompanied me had grown into a big band with one and a half dozen horns! Mandy had it recorded, he played the recording to me, and it sounded incredible. Mandy said we got ourselves the best horns we could get, and the singer was easily on the same level.

"And then we heard about the plans to build a new, mind-bogglingly huge resort hotel here in Vegas. It was to take up the space of three existing hotels which had to make way. Sadly, one of my favorite places was in one of those hotels, but Mandy said this was our chance. He wanted me to have my very own show theater, the best small animal music hall ever built in Las Vegas, and the construction of the new hotel was our chance to get it done. He had lots of rodent construction specialists come and tell us what's possible and go just as far. We got to see the original plans and found out there were lots of space unused by the humans, even enough for full noise insulation so we could install a powerful public address system for tens of thousands of spectators. Plans were made, plans that didn't interfere with what the humans build and that allowed for keeping everything hidden from their eyes. In spring '99, the three hotels were demolished, working on the new place started two weeks later, and in summer '01, both the Versailles Palace and my theater opened.

"First, we played the same show we had always played with the same big band, but in winter '02, things quieted a bit down. This wasn't a show to perform at the same place over and over again, so Mandy and I worked out something new. We went through several styles and decided to keep most of them, and we also decided to inflate the big band to an orchestra with strings and everything. By May '02, both the orchestra and the new show were ready to go. But after playing it for a year, I felt that even though it was a very great show played by a very great orchestra which I had named the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra, and even though many referred to this thing as a sensation, just that it was not. It had been there before. I've never attended a single Broadway musical, neither human nor rodent, but I was sure that their orchestras were hardly different. I felt restless and longing for something that went even beyond most human performances.

"One day in fall '03, I took a stroll about the city, trying to find some inspiration that might lead me where I desired to go but couldn't find the way. I came along a warehouse when I heard unusual sounds, electronic sounds, and they were coming out of a small hole in the ground, much like a rabbit hole. What was so incredible about this was that these sounds were most likely not played by a human or any recording played back. That was what I had been looking for. Synthesizers. No, a mixture of synthesizers, beat boxes and all that with a large orchestra. So I went down that hole and knocked on the door, and a white mouse opened. We all know him today as Todd. I asked him what he did and how he did it, and he gave me a demonstration. He played on a human handheld computer with a touch screen on which he ran some synthesizer program. He made it sound like a real orchestra, and a moment later, it sounded synthetic, electronic, almost spacey.

I didn't leave him much of a choice other than to join my orchestra. He celebrated Christmas with the orchestra, and we managed to arrange a semi-electronic version of Auld Lang Syne in time for the New Year celebrations, but it was a long way to go, and there were lots of music to rearrange or to write all new and even some modifications on the light and sound systems to do before my new show, the Chipmunk Divine, premiered on March 5, 2004, in front of a full house. I had heard the title song on the radio, by the way. The original version, that is. It was played by two guys from Switzerland and sung by a singer who had also done the theme songs from several spy thrillers, and I loved that song so much I rewrote the lyrics and practically based half the show on it."

"Talking about this song, Clarice," Chip threw a question in, "did you dedicate it to someone? It sounds like you did."

"To be honest," Clarice answered, "I dedicated it to you and Dale. I never told anybody about the two of you here in Vegas, not even Armando. But despite my success, I missed the times when we fooled around at the Acorn Club. I missed you. Sometimes, when I stood on that platform and sang out that song to the gasping crowd spread out below me, I wished I was back in New York City at that jazz club that was hardly any larger than my stage, but where they still had enough space to put up tables and for waiters to walk around. And deep in my heart, I had a dream of redoing what we did then, at the Acorn Club, at my own theater, wherever. Tonight, you guys made that dream of mine come true, and I have to thank you. I cannot thank you enough for what you did."

She got up and gave Chip a hug. "Thank you, Chip." Dale received a hug, too. "Thank you, too, Dale." She would have loved to give them both a peck on the cheeks, but she had already done that on stage. Also, she was just trying to make friends with their girls, and she didn't want to make them jealous again instead. "And of course thank you, Todd, for coming back to the orchestra and bringing Chip and Dale with you," she said and hugged the young white mouse.

"So it wasn't all really about love?" Gadget wondered. "The song made me believe it, and so did your actions at the end of the show."

"Oh, no, no, far less than you think. I must admit I did have a little crush on the two guys back then, but most of our little show was for fun, for playing with them. And as for the song, the lines about love, I took them over from the original and left them unchanged because they sounded good. Besides, how shall I be the one to blame? They're both cute, aren't they?"

Foxglove approved, "Oh yes, they are!"

"And they're more than this," Gadget added. "You've seen them a few evenings a week. I've been living with them for almost nineteen years now and solved many cases..."

"Uncountably many, huh?" Clarice asked.

"Wlachally, they are countable. Let's see, 1988 was only half a year as we started out in the middle, the Juice Lee case doesn't count as that was before I met the guys, so it's technically not a Rescue Rangers case, that makes the Klordane case number one, all in all we had..."

"Excuse me, Gadget," Foxglove interrupted her, "but I doubt that Clarice wants to know the details."

"Wait." Clarice looked at the two with her eyes wide open. "You mean she could tell me exactly how many cases the Rescue Rangers have solved?"

"Oh yes," Chip, Dale, Monty, Zipper, Foxglove, and Tammy answered in unison. Gadget blushed, and all she could say was, "Golly."

"Well, in that case," Clarice said and stepped over to Todd, "with a mastermind like her, we can't lose this case. Todd..."

Outside Clarice's place, a mouse with long black hair snuck through the corridor. She stopped in front of the door with the star from where she heard voices. 'Who's in there with Clarice?' she asked herself. Carefully not to make any noise, she laid an ear against the door and tried to listen to whoever was speaking. 'Armando has gone home, so he's not there.' She recognized Todd's voice with ease, maybe even easier than Clarice's, but the other voices were unfamiliar to her. 'No-one from the orchestra, that's for sure... Can they be the Rescue Rangers? If it's them, what are they doing in there this late at night? And what, above all, is Todd doing at Clarice's place that I don't know about?'

* * *


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Oakmont's Eleven

"You must know," Clarice explained as she ran her hand across the shell of the PDA which Todd started up, "that I can only lead you to where the vault is. What's in there is mostly beyond my competence, but we've got an expert who knows the inside of the vault like the inside of his computer."

Chip mentioned, "He told us he hasn't been there since the Versailles Palace's completion."

Todd looked up from the booting device. "That's true, but I still remember a lot. Besides, I've still got copies of some of the plans in here. I discovered I still had them after Chris was gone, and I decided to keep them as a kind of souvenir." When the main menu appeared, Todd tapped on the touch screen and started a document viewer. "Gather around here, and I'll show you whatever you need to know. And then some."

"Does this include the security systems?" LaWahini asked.

"Of course, that's what Chris worked on all the time."

The Rescue Rangers stood in a circle around the PDA. Chip shoved Dale to the bottom end of the computer, right next to Todd. "Well, this is your mission," he said, "and you're the expert in such things. What do you want to know, Dale?"

"What do I..." Dale thought for a second. He recalled the heist movies he had ingested in the recent past. And the one thing he knew about vaults was that they were usually beefed up with high-tech security devices. Chip would say that they were all just movies and too unreal to be reality. But Dale remembered what Todd had said, namely that Chris, the designer of these machineries, had taken the same inspiration from these movies for crafting them as Dale planned to take for defeating them. "Todd, I take it the security in the vault is pretty tight."

"That's right, Dale."

"Any way of shuttin' them down without triggerin' the alarm? Maybe by cuttin' the electricity?"

"Nope. The vault can be supplied independently from the rest of the building. You could pull an Ocean and black out all of Las Vegas, they'll stand strong. Besides, that's not really what you want, neither is killing off the vault's own power supply that's protected as thoroughly as the vault itself, by the way, it'd just double the effort. No, you'll have to go one of the two regular ways. One would be shutting the systems down regularly, but that'd require security codes which are practically impossible to obtain, more so if you want them tonight."

Dale sighed loudly. "Great. What now?"

"The other way is the maintenance mode. It can be activated by an infrared transmitter such as the one in my PDA. And as the former pet and best friend of the security designer, I've got the necessary software, too."

"What about the codes?" Gadget asked. "Do you have them, too?"

"Theoretically," Todd answered.

"What do you mean with 'theoretically,' Todd?!"

"I've got the codes we used when we set up the system. Chris took me here with him a couple of times. Of course, I didn't really do anything, at least not when someone was watching. But I've got the codes from back then. This doesn't mean they've remained unchanged until today."

"Was anyone else involved in the maintenance of the systems?" Sparky inquired.

"No-one was allowed to maintain the systems except the company Chris worked for. Security issues, you know. This increases the chances for the codes to still be valid. Not by much, but they do."

"Let's hope they're still the same," Dale said. "So there's an infrared receiver installed outside the vault?"

"Yes, but it's for maintaining the security systems of the room from which you enter the vault. This one's fairly easy to access from the air ducts, but the only way into the vault is through this room and the heavy steel door. And the infrared receiver for the vault's own systems is... inside the vault. Both sensors are hidden behind wall tiles which are easy to recognize as they're made of aluminum instead of marble, but which have to be removed nevertheless, and you have to overcome the security systems to achieve this."

Dale leaned forward comfortably on the PDA. "Let me guess, Todd. Floor sensors that react upon touch or weight. Right?"

"You can bet on this, Dale. The most basic security means right after cameras and motion detectors."

"Easy. Let Foxy tear off the wall tile, an' then do your magic with your PDA. She's a bat, she can fly, she won't trigger the sensors."

"Bad idea, Dale. There are also usual infrared motion detectors that will detect her body warmth."

Gadget raised a hand. "May I propose something? Zipper is an insect, so his body temperature is always that of the surrounding."

"Yeah," Todd said, "but if there are detectors for floor pressure and for temperature, don't you think there are detectors for sound, too?"

Dale heaved himself up again. "Yes, I've seen somethin' like this in a movie. Only that they measured the temperature instead of usin' motion detectors."

Gadget began to think about the situation. "So we need someone cold-blooded who can either fly or climb walls, an insect or a lizard for example, but who doesn't make any noise either. Zipper only fulfills two of these requirements, but he and Foxglove are the only ones who can fly. How can we..."

She was interrupted by Zipper who landed on her shoulder and talked to her.

"You think you can do that?"

Zipper replied to her.

"Can do what?" Todd asked. Unlike the Rangers, he didn't have enough experience with Zipper's talk to understand him.

Gadget explained, "Dale, Todd, Zipper just suggested something. He wants to gain as much speed as he can in the entrance room once we're in there, and when the vault door is opened, he'll glide into the vault quickly and silently. He can't promise it'll work..."

"And if it doesn't work," Todd interjected, "he'll trigger either the noise detectors if he starts to flap again or the floor sensors if he doesn't. Zipper, can you at least steer in mid-air without having to flap your wings?"

Zipper told him he could do that to a certain degree, and Gadget translated again.

"We'll try it," Dale decided, "an' we'll try your old codes, Todd. Unless anyone's got a better idea. So, what's next?"

"You mean what comes before entering the vault, Dale," Todd said. "First, we need to get into the entrance room and overcome its securities. And then we'll have to unlock the vault door. The entrance room has got air vents for the air conditioning." He looked at Clarice. "I suppose you know the way there."

"That's what I meant, Todd. I'll lead you right there. Heh, I think I've got the easiest part so far."

"Okay, here comes the tough half. The entrance room has got a touch-sensitive floor, too, just in case, but that's irrelevant for now as the air vent we will come through is near the ceiling which will require ropes to get our equipment down on the floor once the security is deactivated. As I already mentioned, there's an infrared receiver behind a single aluminum wall tile, fortunately opposite our air vent. Besides, the lights in both the entrance room and the vault are off usually. They're switched on when the door that leads into the entrance room is opened which requires a human to do it and the codes which I haven't got and which we won't be able to get within this night. This deactivates the entrance room's security, too, so we might not have to go the maintenance mode way this time. It's actually fairly simple: There's an electric switch in the door lock which can be accessed from inside by removing another wall tile. We did that because the switch used to be very unreliable originally. It had to be worked on a lot, and there had to be a solution to get to the switch without breaking half the wall open, hence another removable wall tile. So instead of going into maintenance mode, this switch can simply be short-circuited."

"Sounds like a task for me," Sparky said. "I love to work with electricity."

"Good, but how do you want to find the tile in the pitch black dark, let alone get there?"

"I'll carry him," Foxglove offered. "I can tell aluminum from marble by sonar resonances without having to see anything, I can fly, and if necessary, I can also carry Sparky in the air. There, problem solved."

Dale gave her a smile. "Thanks, Foxy. Wow, that sounds really easy. Now, Todd, what do we need to open the vault door, other than muscles to pull it open?"

Todd tried to calm him down. "Wait, wait, wait, not so fast, Dale. You've still got surveillance cameras to deal with. They're installed in the entrance room and in the vault. And before anyone asks, yes, they operate silently or at least a whole lot quieter than a fly."

LaWahini looked at him in disbelief. "Surveillance cameras? Didn't you say it's dark in there? How are the cameras supposed to see anything if all the lights are out?"

"Easy. Imagine someone did actually manage to break into the entrance room. They'd have to unlock the door which shuts down the security and turns on the lights. Now imagine you're a guard and sitting in front of the surveillance monitors, and suddenly some of the screens that are usually black show something in bright light. Would draw your attention and surprise you a lot more than if the lights were always on, wouldn't it? Oh, and if someone somehow cut their way through the closed door, they'd trigger the alarm which turns on the lights, too. Even if they could fly or if they managed to get through the entrance room on ropes or whatever without touching the floor, they wouldn't even make it into the room, for the door itself is protected by three dozen photoelectric barriers from inside. But this isn't important for us, we won't enter the room through the door."

"Are the cameras connected to video recorders of any kind?" Gadget asked. "VHS tape recorders or such?"

"They did use VHS for two years, but then they switched to DVD-RAM. The room where the recorders are located is accessible via the air ducts, too. I believe I know what you're up to."

"DVD-RAM is perfect," Gadget said. "Saves us a lot of time. You just stop it and skip to the beginning of a recording instead of having to rewind four hours of tape. LaWahini, care to help me with the recorders?"

"Sure, sis," LaWahini gave her okay.

"Alright, Todd, how exactly does the DVD and surveillance system work?"

"Conveniently for us. There's one custom-made double DVD deck per camera. One drive is recording, and when the end of a disk is reached, the second drive is started. After four hours, the double-sided cartridge is turned around, and after another four hours, the cartridge is replaced by a new one. Manual access to the drives is possible, though. The contents of each DVD-RAM cartridge is stored for two weeks, so there are lots of cartridges in use, you can believe me." Todd then turned to Clarice. "When do the guards go on patrol?"

"Every full and half hour. That is, they leave one minute early. The patrol itself takes only five minutes. Add the minute they take for leaving and one more to settle when they're back, this makes seven minutes."

"Thanks. Dale, I suggest we start our mission at 3:30 AM. From midnight on, the vault is closed, so the cameras will record nothing but blackness for the following two hours. We need a full two hours of blackness because switching back to recording is tricky, and bringing the system back into the two-hour rhythm manually is impossible. What we can do is as follows: The cartridges with the recording from midnight to 2 AM will be ejected and turned shortly after 2 AM. The first task of the video team will be to turn the cartridges around again. There are four disks, one for the entrance room, three for the vault. The second task will be to abort the recording. The decks will switch to record and pause 30 seconds before the actual recording starts, and the record and pause mode can be switched off like on every VCR out there. The third task will be launching the playback on these four decks as closely in sync with the recording on the other decks as possible. The decks are sorted, and these four decks are mounted in a rack above each other, so a team of two should be able to do it quickly."

Clarice threw something important in. "I recommend hurrying up with the playback part. From my experience, I can tell that the guards look into the room with the decks two minutes after they start their patrol which would mean 4:02 AM in our case. So after you launched the playbacks at 4 AM sharp, you've got two minutes to get lost and remove all traces of your presence."

"What makes things much less easier than you might think," Todd continued, "is the fact that said four recorders are in a rack opposite the door. They're easy to find once you know which rack it is, for they're labeled. But when the guards enter, this rack is among the first things they look at."

"You can count on us!" Gadget and LaWahini assured.

"Is this okay with you, Dale?" Todd asked.

"Sure it is, Todd. Now all we've gotta do is open the vault door. I take it there are cool gizmos such as iris scanners 'n all that."

"Well," Todd said, "there are no iris scanners. Chris tried to get one, but the manufacturer stated they weren't sold for commercial use, so he had to rely on the good old fingerprint scanner in addition with a numeric code. Hope that's still cool enough for you, Dale."

"Cool or not," Chip remarked, "how do you think we shall get a fingerprint that matches the scanner, and that will open the door for us?"

"If the old access codes are still valid, so is my handprint. Chris scanned it in back then just for fun and for secretly making me a member of the security team, and as far as I know, he never deleted it."

Monty rubbed his hands. "So all that's left is openin' the door, right, Todd? Sounds like a decent match o' tug o' war ta me."

"Monty, that door is weighing 18 tons!" Todd said. "Fortunately, it's got an electric drive opening and closing it." He laid his arm around Dale. "And with this detail solved, we're able to get into the vault, mission leader Dale."

Dale was amazed. "Wowie-zowie, what a plan! Like in the movies! Now we need to find the gems an' carry them away. Anyone remember the locker number?"

"305," Todd said. "I know where it is, and it's right above the floor, so getting the gems out of it will be easy. The lock on it is easy to pick, too. What are the gems in?"

"They're in a box," Chip replied. "From what we've seen at the airport, the box is a bit smaller than a shoe box."

"Uh-oh, that might get tight," Clarice supposed. "A shoe box wouldn't fit through the air ducts without difficulties."

"It has to fit," Chip said, "it's our only way in and our only way out."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll manage it somehow," Dale tried to calm him down. "Once we've got the box in the air duct, the hardest part is over, an' the gems are ours. We'll just carry them away an' fly them to New York City, an' the case is solved."

"We'll of course have to reactivate the security systems," Todd reminded him, "that means basically undoing what we did before. The vault security activates itself one minute after the maintenance mode has been quit, so after I've switched it back to normal mode, we've got one minute to put the wall tile in place and shut the vault door which locks itself then. Reactivating the security in the entrance room will be done by either leaving the maintenance mode again or by removing the short-circuit from the door lock. When everyone's back in the air duct together with the gems, and the grille in front of the air vent is back in place, all we need to do is get the box out of the building."

"I'll show you the way again," Clarice offered, "and wave after you when you fly away. I hope you'll come back soon."

"So do I," Todd said, realizing that the Rangers were going to leave the city after they got the gems.

"So what are we gonna do now before we start?" Dale asked. "Clarice, where's your TV?"

"We all had better take a nap," Chip recommended. "And this includes you, Dale."

Unknown to everyone inside Clarice's apartment, Melissa was still outside and trying to find out what was going on on the other side of the door. 'It's getting quiet now. Guess they're leaving.' She looked around to find a place to hide before the door opened as she expected and spotted another door along the corridor which belonged to a closet. It was unlocked, so she opened it, slipped inside, and left it half-closed, so she could peek out and see the apartment door. But nothing happened, nobody came out, and as it was near midnight, Melissa was so tired that she fell asleep after only a few minutes.

* * *


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Oakmont's Twelve, Part 1

The noises from Clarice's door made their way quickly down the corridor, past the closet door, and through Melissa's ears right into her subconsciousness. Her eyes sprung open, and her mind took less than a second to switch from asleep to fully awake. 'Lookie who's leaving the nest,' she thought as she watched Clarice, Todd, and the Rescue Rangers leave the luxurious apartment. They all were dressed casually except for Dale who still wore his white tuxedo and Foxglove who didn't wear anything. Todd was taking his PDA with him, and the whole group carried an assortment of bags of different sizes. 'What's going on here?' Melissa wondered. 'And where are they heading with all these bags, let alone Todd's PDA?' She was quite certain that Clarice hadn't thrown an after-show party, at least not without inviting her or any other members of the orchestra. Or at least Armando. She took her violin case and followed the group, making sure they wouldn't see or hear her.

She tried hard to convince herself that there was a perfectly normal explanation for why Todd and the Rangers had spent so much time at Clarice's place. How much time it was she didn't know, nor why Dale was the last to be dressed up while everyone else was wearing their usual clothes, if any. But her optimism vanished more and more when she realized that they were not on any way out of the building, especially not the one leading to the main entrance. Instead, it seemed as if they were on their way down to the basement. With the safe distance between her and the Rangers and the rumbling of the wheels on Todd's PDA stand echoing through the hollows, she was unable to understand what they were talking about, and they weren't talking so much anyway.

The group had walked through many hallways and descended an impressive number of stairs which the Rangers wished they wouldn't have to climb up again with the diamonds when the path seemed to end in front of them where a metal wall blocked their way. Clarice announced, "Here is where we'll enter the air duct. I'll just remove this panel here, and we can proceed. I recommend someone to help Todd with his computer, for I suspect the humans might be able to hear it roll on the steel floor."

She was about to grab two small handles attached to the panel when someone far behind her shouted, "Okay, whatever you're doing here, you owe me an explanation now."

The whole team of eleven turned around and saw Melissa slowly approach them. "I might not know the maze of tunnels and air ducts in this building by heart like you do, Clarice," she said, "but I do know this is one of the waste air ducts for the basement, because we're below ground level now. Todd, what have you been fooled into?"

"I haven't been fooled into anything, Melissa," Todd began to explain, "I offered the Rescue Rangers to help them on this mission. And it was me, too, who requested help from..." He motioned into Clarice's direction with his head.

"Mission?! What are you guys heading for? Supply rooms? Staff rooms? Or what do they call that large chamber behind the steel door?"

Chip took over here. "I see we can't hide it from you anymore. Melissa, we, the Rescue Rangers, your friend Todd, and your boss Clarice, we're indeed on our way into the vault to retrieve fourteen gemstones which have been stolen two days ago, and which are now in the hands of a mad and dangerous scientist. This may sound unbelievable, but if we told you what sorts of cases we've gone through in the past almost nineteen years, I'm sure you wouldn't believe half of them, and not all, but many of them involved this crazy scientist who seemed to be commuting between lab, prison, and lunatics asylum."

"Is that true, Todd?"

"Every single word," Todd approved to her. "If you can't trust the Rescue Rangers, whom can you trust then?"

"And what are you doing here then? Half a year ago, you ran away from Clarice, and now you can't spend enough time at her side?"

This was something Clarice didn't expect. "Wait, what?"

Melissa stepped right up to the singer. "You don't know why he left? Hey, even I noticed."

Todd stood next to his PDA and stared at the mouse and the chipmunk. His heart was racing, and the fur on his hands was being soaked with the moisture that was escaping from his mouth. He didn't feel well at all, he even doubted he would be able to continue on the case. His best-hidden secret was about to be revealed to her whom it concerned the most. Clarice's calling him was the final proof. "Todd, can I talk with you in private?"

"Uh... mh..." He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no either. He didn't say anything really, but he knew there was nothing to say, and there was only one way to go, namely with Clarice. He had always wished a bit of privacy with her. He had always wanted to tell her how he felt. And now he was forced to tell her. Maybe it was the only way for him to quit waiting for the right moment and the right amount of courage, but a part of him preferred to tell her deliberately.

They walked back on their path until Melissa's and the Rangers' talking had faded away and they were safely out of earshot.

"Todd," Clarice finally asked with a calm voice, "what was it that made you leave the orchestra last year?"

"I... I couldn't stand it... any longer," Todd stammered.

"You couldn't stand what any longer?"

"Melissa pretty much already said it, I guess."

"But I want to hear it from you. Why did you leave?"

"I..."

"You? You what?" Clarice inquired, still calmly.

"I couldn't stand being around you much longer," he said quietly. Then it burst out of him. "At the rehearsals several hours every day, at the shows on weekends and special occasions, at planning meetings, you were always there. I always wanted to be near you, to see you, to hear your voice, I used to be happy when you were around, but it had gotten too much, it had become an overkill, it wasn't healthy at all anymore! I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how, I didn't know when, and yes, I was afraid to tell you, I was afraid of how you'd react!"

"What did you want to tell me, Todd?"

"I... I... adore you. I'm crazy for you, I'm absolutely obsessed with you, I lo-"

Clarice interrupted him by placing a finger upon his mouth. "No, you don't."

Todd didn't say a word, not only because of Clarice's finger.

"I know what you want to say, Todd. You don't. Believe me."

Todd still didn't say a word. He felt like the way Clarice looked at him enabled her to see the contents of both his heart and his brains. What did she mean?

"Todd, I know the difference between obsession and love. Yes, I must admit, I learned it only yesterday, but I know it." She carefully took his hands. "And I hope you'll feel a lot better when you know that you do not love me. I'm not saying this because I'm the star of my own show, and you're just a musician in my orchestra. I'm not saying it either because I'm more than fifteen years older than you, or because we're two different species. I'm saying this because I want to help you sort out and quit mistaking your feelings."

"I don't... love... I've never been... all the time...?"

"There's much more to love than what you've been feeling. And trust me, the day will come when you'll experience real love, and when this love will be returned to you."

Todd stared at her again until she gave him a caring hug, a bit like a mother would hug her adult son, and as if to say, 'If you feel like thanking me now, you're welcome.' The way he hugged her back told her she wasn't too wrong.

Minutes passed before Clarice and Todd came back. Melissa who had been staring into their direction all the time asked, "Have you sorted things out?"

"Oh yes, we have," Clarice answered. Unseen by Todd, she gave Melissa a wink as she passed by.

In order to direct everyone's minds away from this incident, Todd immediately took up the casework again. He took a quick glance at his still running computer and read the time. "3:50 AM. There's just little time left to set up the video operation. Let's head on and get it done. Can someone please open the gate so that we don't lose more time?"

"Fer sure," Monty said. "Gimme a second." He grasped the handles on the panel firmly. As it refused to move backwards, he pulled it upwards instead. This did work, and so he quickly removed it from the secret entrance into the air duct. After all the others had passed through the hole, Clarice put the panel back into place by inserting it with the handles turned towards the air duct.

Carrying Todd's handheld device on both ends, the team of now twelve headed on to the air vent for the room in which the DVD recorders were mounted. In the other direction, light fell in from one air vent, and a radio was playing. "The guards are spending their time and watching the monitors in the room over there," Clarice explained.

Todd quickly pushed the grille open. It landed upon one of the 19" racks immediately below it. "The air grilles here are held in place by clips on the top side and hinges on the bottom side. Easy to open, easy to close, and you don't need any tools. The rack in question is the second-last one to the left, right opposite the door. The racks are closed all around, but you can enter them through the cable holes, and there's always a device mounted somewhere up high so you don't have to slide down the cables. The four recorders are labeled. I recommend climbing down the mounting rails on both sides of the rack, they've got hole patterns. Good luck."

Gadget and LaWahini exchanged glances as if to say, 'What was this now?' and entered the room. They ran and jumped from rack to rack until they reached the one opposite the door. The video racks were easily recognizable, they protruded ten inches to the front to create additional space for the cartridge turning machinery which, as they found out after they had entered the rack, consisted of a sled with a rotating cartridge holder, four vertical rails it ran on, and horizontal rails which allowed to move the sled and the vertical rails from the drives on the left to those on the right. The sled was parked at the bottom.

"See, LaWahini?" Gadget said. "All the drives on the right are currently recording, so the ones we're looking for are on the left."

"Alright, I'm gonna climb down first. I hope Todd was right, and the four recorders are mounted in a group."

"Remember that we need to turn the cartridges around first," Gadget reminded her, "otherwise we'd broadcast the program from 8 PM. We'd better hurry."

The two mice climbed down the rack rail, only being able to see thanks to the control LEDs and the light shining in through the glass pane in the door as the ceiling lights were not on. Halfway between ground and ceiling, LaWahini stopped. "Here they are. This one's the first."

"Good, then let's turn the cartridges around."

To Gadget's relief, the drives were mounted with a space between them to allow the air to circulate between the machines. She slipped into the gap between the recorder LaWahini had found and crept to the other side of the drive, near the middle of the device. "Attention, sister," she announced, "I'm opening the drive now."

She leaned over and pushed the eject button. With the whir of an electric motor, the drawer with the cartridge came out. It was close enough for LaWahini to get a hold on the cartridge with one hand.

"Okay, hold it up," Gadget ordered. LaWahini pushed the cartridge upward with one hand.

"And what now?" she asked.

"Toss it into my direction. I'll throw it upward, and so we'll flip it around."

"You're sure it'll work?"

"We'll see."

And indeed, it did work. Both mice worked together perfectly, cast the double-sided DVD-RAM cartridge into the air, and caught it safely before they laid it back onto the drawer and Gadget closed the drive again. "Come," she said, "we've got three more disks to turn."

The rest of the team stood up in the air duct, unaware of the twin sisters going ahead with the precision of a clockwork because they couldn't see them. Most of them only had eyes for the clock on Todd's PDA anyway which showed how the time was rapidly ticking away. Only Foxglove was listening to what was going on in the security staff room.

Meanwhile, Gadget and LaWahini were lying between two recorders each with all buttons within reach. All drives in the rack that were not recording suddenly switched to record and pause, controlled by a timer. "Press stop, LaWahini!" Gadget said. "And then get yourself ready, we'll soon have to start the playback."

"Roger Wilbury," LaWahini quoted her own sister. They both deactivated the record mode on all four drives.

"Alright, everyone," Foxglove alerted the others, "I can hear them leaving."

"Perfectly in time," Todd said. "In fact, even half a minute behind the schedule. Just to be sure, where are they going, Foxglove?"

The bat took off and flew to the illuminated air vent. "Away from us," she answered as she saw the two guards walk out into the hallway.

The Hackwrench sisters knew that it was 4 AM sharp when the drives farther above and below them started recording and those next to them stopped. "Now!" Gadget shouted. In sync and within only a few seconds, both mice bowed upward, started the drives above them, then turned around and did the same with those they were lying on.

"And now let's get lost before the guards arrive," LaWahini recommended.

"There," Foxglove shouted up in the air duct, "Gadget and LaWahini have started the playback. The monitors are back to their usual black."

"That means the cameras are safely overridden," Todd said. "Now let's hope they make it back up here in time. I'd like to have this grille back in place when the guards turn on the lights in there."

Foxglove joined the other team members in gathering at the air vent and waiting for Gadget and LaWahini to come out through the cable duct. It took them only little longer than a minute, but this time seemed like forever. Realizing how tight their time was, the twins sprinted over the other racks and leapt through the air vent into the arms of Chip and Tammy respectively who almost fell over backward.

"Quick," Todd shouted, "get away from the vent, the guards must be here any second!"

Moments after the others had removed themselves from the air vent and into less visible parts of the air duct, and Todd had shut the grille again, the lights went on. The white mouse remained standing at the very edge of the air vent and watched the two guards enter. "I hope these dimwits don't notice that four of the drives are playing back instead of recording."

* * *


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Oakmont's Twelve, Part 2

The guards took a look around in the room. They didn't check each and every rack in it, probably because they didn't expect to find anything suspicious inside them. But they did examine the space above them, and Todd had to step aside from the air vent when the beam from one of their spotlights hit the grille. He wasn't keen on finding out the hard way what would happen if the guards discovered mice in the air conditioning. He held his breath until they were gone.

He exhaled loudly out of relief. "Phew! They're gone. And they didn't notice the playing recorders."

"Great!" Dale said. "Then we can crack the vault now."

"Not yet, Dale. Let's wait for them to return to their room. They might still hear us through the closed door as long as they're in the hallway."

Another three minutes passed while Todd had two eyes on the guards room. Finally, the two guys in uniforms returned to their room and closed the door behind them. Todd gave two thumbs up and ran back to the others. "We're clear! Now we can, as you said, Dale, 'crack the vault.'"

The entrance room air extraction was not too close to the guards room. In fact, the air duct even had several corners on the way there. But this greatly reduced the chances for the team to be heard. Another air grille barrier was quickly unmade, but this time, there was nothing below the vent to step upon, the vent was right beneath the ceiling again, and the room was completely dark. The air duct wasn't illuminated much better, the only source of light was the PDA screen.

"Sparky, Foxy," Dale said, "here comes your part."

"Alright!" Sparky replied eagerly. "Uhm, what is my part?"

Foxy retold the plan. "First, I'll fly to the entrance door and remove the cover from the lock which I'll find by using my echolocation. Once it's gone, I'll carry you to the lock which you'll short-circuit."

"Excellently told, Foxglove," Todd praised. "By short-circuiting," he added, "the door will unlock, but it will not open, the security systems in this room will be shut down, and the lights will go on."

Dale placed himself behind Foxglove and laid his hands on her shoulders. "Ready, Foxy?"

She turned around, nuzzled him tenderly, said, "Ready, cutie," and took off into a darkness in which only bats could find their way. Her teammates listened to her flapping and sonar pinging, this way, they were able to estimate where she was. "I got it!" she suddenly shouted. She knew she couldn't lay it onto the floor, so she decided to carry it back to the air duct. "Step aside, up there, here comes the panel!" She safely pinged her way back to the hole in the wall where her friends were waiting.

"Sparky," she asked after she had lain down the aluminum panel on the ground of the air duct, "can I get an electric shock when I hold you by your shoulders?"

"I'm not sure," the lab rat responded, "but I think the lab coat insulates me pretty well. Just stay away from my hands, they're the most dangerous."

"Thanks for the warning." Foxglove lifted off again and planted herself on Sparky's shoulders. With some effort, she managed to get him airborne, but she still had to make it through half of the room with a payload significantly heavier than Dale. She was glad that she remembered the way to the lock, so it didn't take her too long to fly Sparky there.

The opening with the lock in it wasn't very deep, it was in fact barely large enough for Sparky to stand in. From where he stood, he could see the lights of the photoelectric barriers across the door. To stay safe, Foxglove hovered behind him. He felt his way through the hole and by and by found what he had been searching for. "Ah, here's one wire... and here's the other one... Hey Foxy, close your eyes for a second or two!" Immediately after this warning, bright lightning bolts cast a ghostly light onto the room before the neon lights on the ceiling lit up. A closer look of Sparky's revealed that the photoelectric barriers had gone, too. The team members in the air duct had to adjust their eyes to the light before they applauded for Sparky who had twisted the two wires so that they were permanently connected.

Foxglove picked Sparky up and carried him back. When they had almost arrived at the air vent, Sparky commented, "Nice crane there, Gadget." The others turned and saw a simple crane-like contraption Gadget had assembled mostly from tent parts even before the lights had gone on.

The inventress smiled and blushed a bit. "Golly, we need something to get our equipment and ourselves down there and back, don't we?"

Together with its stand, Todd's PDA was hung upon the crane and lowered to the floor. Todd took the chance and rode on it, and when they both reached the floor, detached it and moved it into a good position for disarming the vault's security via infrared. "I could use a little help now to enter the code and my handprint," he shouted.

A plunger on a rope dashed through the room and planted itself firmly in the wall niche with the fingerprint scanner and the numeric keypad, right above the latter. At the other end of the rope which in fact was a yarn thread in human scale, LaWahini stood with Gadget's plunger crossbow in her hand. "Bullseye!"

Her sister was busy fixing the rope on her crane when Melissa came to her. "May I ask what that's gonna be?"

"I want to go over there and help him up to the niche with this rope." Gadget held up another piece of thread.

"Oh, you've already done so much. Let me do it," Melissa offered.

"Do you think you can..."

"Sure, otherwise I wouldn't propose it."

Gadget shrugged and handed her the coiled-up rope. With it slung over her shoulder, Melissa swung herself onto the rope that crossed the room until she stood on it, balancing with her arms spread out.

"Melissa," Chip reminded her, "I'm not sure if we've got enough time for a tightrope show."

"You're right," Melissa replied, "but I never said I wanted to make a show out of it. See you later!" And she started to run along the rope, setting one foot in front of the other securely and at the same time incredibly fast, and still holding her arms out. The rope itself did not swing the slightest bit to the sides. At the end, she simply jumped off of it and landed in the niche just as safely. She then knotted the rope she carried to the one she had run on and dropped the other end down to Todd. "Climb up here!"

Todd did as he was told. However, being as untrained as he was, he was only able to move very slowly. "That takes way too long," Melissa decided. She took the rope in her hands and hoisted him up to her. When he arrived at the niche, she took his hand and pulled him up the last few inches so he could stand on his feet again.

He looked at her in disbelief for a moment, then he explained, "Now you're here, you can help me unlock the vault door. After I've entered my handprint and the code number, this button has to be pressed." He pointed at a large, square green button with the writing "Open" on it. "I want you to do that when I'm back on the floor, operating the PDA. But don't press it before I say the word, 'Silence.' And the most important thing: After you've pushed it, stay absolutely silent until I say otherwise."

"Got it," Melissa said.

She turned her back on him while he entered the six-digit code number. To his relief, it was correct. "You can look again," he declared, and she watched as he laid his right hand onto the fingerprint scanner which immediately came to life. A bright bar of light moved up and down below the surface. In the end, the green "Open" button lit up, a sign for Todd's successful part of the unlocking. He wiped a few drops of sweat from his forehead.

While Melissa helped him down on the floor, Zipper left the air duct and began to fly wide circles around the room, gaining both speed and height. Hardly distracted by Zipper's buzzing, Todd started a special program on his PDA that was designed to maintain security systems like the ones around him. He prepared for switching the vault's system to maintenance mode and entered the access code. After that was done, he shouted, "Silence!"

All members of the team fell silent, even Zipper stopped buzzing in mid-air. Melissa pressed the large green button. The huge steel door had already unlocked noiselessly after entering the codes, but now it opened slowly and just as silently. Zipper slipped through the gap as soon as it was wide enough. The whole team held their breaths as he disappeared behind the door. For himself, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Still flying at an utterly high speed, he spotted the one aluminum tile right ahead. He used his tiny wings to glide upon them, to steer, and on the last bit of the way, he used them as air brakes. With a precision he himself couldn't believe, he hit the tile and got hold of its upper edge.

He then turned around until he stood on his hands and slowly and carefully pushed the tile off the wall, always watching Todd through the opening door. After seeing Todd's thumb up, he pushed harder and detached the tile. The moment they both began to fall down towards the still touch-sensitive floor, the PDA's infrared transmitter was already working. The devices worked together perfectly, and Todd gave another thumb up as a sign that the security was down. Zipper dared flap his wings again and kept himself and the tile from hitting the ground mere inches above it. Todd pumped his fists into the air. "It's defeated!"

"Ya mean we can enter?" Dale asked from above.

"That's what I mean!"

"Oh boy oh boy, we cracked it!" Dale cheered. "C'mon, everyone, to the vault, an' let's get the gems outta there!" He was the first to climb down the rope, and being a chipmunk, he was fast, too. The Rangers made a mad dash for the vault to find and open the locker no. 305. Only Clarice stayed back in the air duct and watched the scene below unfold.

The locker was found within no time. Chip climbed onto Monty's shoulders right below the lock, and they both helped Gadget up who picked the lock with her tail. Together, they opened the door. There it was again, the black box which they had chased almost across the whole USA. From inside the locker, Monty pushed it out of the locker and onto the waiting hands of Chip and Dale. The other Rangers were standing ready to assist them if necessary.

Suddenly they noticed that a large shadow and a few smaller ones were cast upon all of them, and two different voices spoke.

"Return the box to the locker now!"

"Oh, no, no, don't listen to what he said. Get it out and give it to ME!"

* * *


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Oakmont's Thirteen

The contradicting commands made those who were standing in front of the locker turn around. Chip and Dale dropped the box upon the unexpected sight, and Monty who had been pushing the box until then was as surprised as everybody to find Fat Cat and his four goons stand behind them. The crime boss himself held Todd in his left hand and—which was even more surprising—Francis in his right. Francis' two lackeys were held captive by Mepps.

"Fat Cat?! How did you get in here?" Chip demanded to know.

"Why, through the door, of course," Fat Cat answered. "I found these three rats snooping around. I remembered I had seen them somewhere before, and that somewhere happens to be my very own place. It was easy enough to figure out what they wanted here, and by chance, I wanted the same. And to answer the questions you're surely about to ask next: There are signs that show the way to the vault. And the reason why we simply stepped in here without taking care of the security systems is because if you were in here—and these gentlerats were kind enough to tell me you had to be in here—, you would have shut them down anyway. Wart, Snout, get the box."

"At your ssservisss, Fat Cat," Wart hissed.

"Oh no," Francis shouted, "not if I can help it. CHOMP!"

"Huh?" Louie and Moe asked.

"Chomp, I said!"

Fat Cat held Francis up. "What, you—OW!" he cried out in pain as the rat sunk his incisors into the feline's hand. The pain was doubled by Todd doing the same on the other side. Apparently, Louie and Moe comprehended the order given to them and bit the other cat. Out of reflex, all four rodents were released and fell down.

Francis had already spotted the chipmunk in the white tuxedo. "You! You again!"

"Oh yeah," Dale said, "me again. Now what?"

"Now tell your friends to return the box to where they found it," Francis growled, his henchrats standing to his left and right.

Dale crossed his arms. "And what if not?"

"There ain't no 'if not.' Louie, Moe, make him obey."

"Sure, Francis," the two rats said and approached Dale who detached one of his cufflinks and dropped it. When it hit the floor, it filled several square feet of surroundings with dense smoke despite its size similar to a pinhead.

Dale snickered. "If you want me, come find me. Chip an' everyone else," he ordered, "take the box away from here!"

"Fantastic idea, Dale," Chip commented. "Where shall we take it? We can't even see where we are!"

But Dale didn't hear him anymore. He ran away from the crowd, trying to escape from Louie and Moe. While he ran, he frantically searched his jacket for the helicopter fan triggers. He didn't have to run far to leave the cloud of smoke. But when he stopped and took a breath of clean air, he saw the two rats emerge from the cloud. He was so surprised to see them that when he started to run again, they took a leap each and caught him by his heels. With his hands still in his jacket, Dale fell over and landed on his belly, accidentally activating a trigger.

"Francis, we got—" Louie wasn't able to say anything more than this, because before he could, a stream of white smoke hit his face. And before he or Moe knew what was going on, something dragged them forward at high speed. They both believed things could impossibly turn for the even worse when they were pulled upward and raced towards the ceiling.

"AAAAAAAHH!" the chipmunk they held onto screamed. "Gadget! How do I steer this?!"

Gadget replied, "I haven't built a steering in yet," but Dale was unable to hear her because of the noises both he and the rocket pack produced.

The more the smoke from Dale's cufflink spread, the less dense it was, and very soon, it was possible to see through it again. Rocketing around the room, Dale distracted almost everyone. Monty took advantage of it and shoved the box out of the locker completely. It landed on the floor with a dry thud. "Chip, Gadget," he said as he jumped out of the locker, "'elp me with the luggage, will ya?"

"Sure, Monty!" they answered and heaved up their end of the box while Monty took the other.

"Chip," Gadget suggested as the three Rangers headed for the entrance room, "now that the door is open anyway, what about leaving that way?"

"And run into the guards' open arms? Better not! We go on like we planned!"

Without the smoke hiding them, they were easily tracked by Fat Cat who simply picked the box out of their hands. "What about going on the way I planned? What I planned for you will of course not be so pleasant."

Being the first to have seen enough of Dale flying around, Tammy tapped Todd on the shoulder. "Todd, where's Melissa?"

"Don't worry about her," Todd said, "she's safe."

Melissa stood high above the mayhem in the open air vent. "Had I known that this would happen... Clarice, is this the usual way a Rescue Rangers case works?"

Clarice shrugged. "I don't know, it's the first time I see them in action, too."

"Chaos or not, I can't just stand here and watch." Having said this, Melissa climbed onto the tightrope again.

"And what about your computer?" Tammy asked on.

Todd almost panicked. "My PDA!" He left the group and ran into the direction in which Fat Cat had just acquired the gems.

"What, he's got a computer?" the feline gangster asked more himself than anyone else. "Mole! Snout! Go fetch that mouse's computer! You never know what it can be good for."

Monty looked around. Mole and Snout pursued Todd. Fat Cat had the box with the gemstones. And Dale was flying around helplessly. "I've never been a friend o' plans anyway!" he decided and marched towards Fat Cat who paid more attention to his most recent prey than to anything else. The XXXL-sized tabby suddenly felt a tug on his tail.

Unknown to the animals in the basement, two humans came into the reception hall from the parking garage underneath the Versailles Palace. The one with the ridiculously overdone Elvis outfit asked his companion, "And, did you like our little nightly trip through Las Vegas, uh-huh?" He sounded much less like the King than he believed.

"Very much," the bald guy at his side answered. "This city is really living up at night."

"Well, let's go to bed now. I'd like to take you somewhere very special tomorrow, no, later today, you and the... presents you brought."

On his barely controllable flight through the vault, Dale was heading for the massive steel door. "Oooooooh," he said, "this is gonna hurt." A part of his subconsciousness seemingly had learned how to steer, because almost out of a reflex, he pulled up and performed two and a half loops, making Louie and Moe let go of his feet. The two rats flew wide arcs through the air and landed on top of the door.

Foxglove was still watching Dale. She asked the blond mouse next to her, "LaWahini, what did your sister say how long the rocket would work?"

Her question was answered when Dale's rocket pack suddenly ran out of fuel and the white, baking soda-based stream ceased. It took him two seconds to realize what had happened before he started to fall.

The next to be airborne was Fat Cat. Monty hurled him around and around by his tail. Once again, he wondered how a mouse living on cheese mostly was able to gain such strength. Due to his sense of balance which was as sensitive as that of every cat, he quickly grew dizzy and thought he was still spinning around when Monty released him and sent him flying upon the vault door. Louie and Moe could crawl away just in time before the massive feline landed. The impact had him lose the box which flew and hit the tightrope, causing the plunger to detach from the niche.

"We haven't had this for years," Foxglove commented as she took off to catch her rapidly descending boyfriend in mid-air. "For way too long, actually."

Todd managed to reach his PDA before Mole and Snout reached him. And even before they were able to come close enough, a female, half-Asian mouse with long black hair fell seemingly out of nowhere, landed in front of them, and took a fighting stance. "If you want him or his computer, you have to get past me!"

"Aww, ain't she cute?" Snout said. "Step aside, cute mousie, we need to—" He didn't speak any further. He suddenly felt something in his stomach, and that was Melissa's right foot.

"Wart! Mepps!" Mole shouted. "We need some help here!"

"Oh, I'm sure you do," Melissa said as she flipped him through the air. "Heh, it's true what they say. The heavier opponents are, the easier they're to defeat."

"I'm busyyyyy," Mepps whined while flying the same way that Fat Cat had flown seconds before.

"Leave them in peassse, mousssie," Wart threatened, "or elssse..." He picked up Sparky, but instead of a hostage, all he got was an electric shock. "Wow," he said, "that sssavesss me two hoursss of sssleep. Then again..." His physical strength abandoned him, and he fell over.

Melissa looked at the pile of Mole and Snout. "I guess they've got enough."

Foxglove managed to carry Dale down to the floor safely. "Thanks a lot, Foxy," he said and smiled at her.

She smiled back. "You're very welcome."

"As usual," Francis said, "I've got to do everything myself." He stomped towards where Chip, Gadget, and Monty were preparing to lift the box up into the air duct. All of a sudden, he felt like looking into a mirror.

"Hello, brother!" the mirror image spoke to him. "Surprised to see me here?"

"Allan! How did you—"

"Find all this? Well, for a start, it was me who alerted the Rescue Rangers. It was me who took your place and gave the diamond to the human. It was me who knew the Rangers would intervene on this case. And last but not least, it was me who followed you and your many playmates down here and snuck in. I believe no-one notice my presence in all the chaos yet."

"Get lost, Allan, I'm on a mission!"

"Guess what? I'm on a mission, too! What a coincidence! And do you know what my mission is, Francis?"

Chip was standing on top of the box with the gems and about to fasten the crane's rope on it when he realized the two Francises, one of which he quickly identified. "Wait, what does this creep Allan do here?"

"Well, Chipper," Monty told him, "from 'ere it looks like 'e's beatin' 'is brother up. Or rather they're beatin' each other up."

Dale took a glance around to see what the others had achieved while he was on his short but wild flight. Of the altogether six minions, only one was still moving notably, and that was Mepps. Like Fat Cat, Louie, and Moe, he seemed to be stuck upon the vault door. Dale was surprised to see Allan, too, but this surprise was a positive one as Allan kept Francis busy. He realized that this was a chance to depart without further disturbances. "Chip, how are things goin' ahead with the crane?"

"Just another moment, and the box is up and away!"

"Perfect. Then let's make like the tree an' leave!"

"Erm, Dale," Todd reminded him, "shouldn't we revert this place into its usual state? It'd be quite suspicious if the door lock and the infrared sensor are both uncovered, and if the security is partly shut down, partly in maintenance mode."

"Won't the alarm go off if we switch everythin' back on?"

"Not if we do the same thing we did with the lock in reverse, and if I give the maintenance mode thirty seconds before it ends."

"Okay, then let's do this!"

"Not if I can help it," Fat Cat snarled. "Down with you, Mepps!"

"But booooooss," Mepps complained, "that's really high!"

"Cats always land on their paws, you moron! Now down with you!" Fat Cat pushed his lackey off the door. Mepps landed on his tummy, but Fat Cat did not really expect anything else.

"What about us?" Moe asked.

Fat Cat grinned. "Oh, right, where are my good manners?" He grasped them by their tails, spun them around like it had been done earlier with himself, and tossed them right into their own boss who was still fighting with his brother. "Hope you had a soft landing!" Then he jumped himself, perfectly landing on his paws.

Chip hadn't even finished knotting the rope above the box when Fat Cat returned into the game. "Great," he said, "what now?"

"Now," Fat Cat suggested, "you little nut-munchers give me what's mine."

"No way we're gonna give up now!" Dale yelled. "Todd, turn on the security! Now!"

"But Dale," Todd reminded him, "that'd set the alarm off!"

"Just do it!"

"You wished it..." Todd tapped onto the touch screen of his PDA a few times. Only a few seconds later, the security system began to react upon the sensors which had all been triggered, from the touch-sensitive floor to the motion and noise detectors. A loud siren and more than a dozen red lights signaled that the alarm was working as desired.

"Zipper," Todd ordered, "replace the wall tile before the security is here! Everyone else, help me with the PDA and get back into the air duct!"

The Rescue Rangers and their friends were on their way out, successfully no less, and the present crooks were too stunned by the alarm to do anything against it. Only Allan reacted in time. The box with the diamonds in it and most of the team and Todd's PDA upon it was cranked upward by Monty who had climbed up the rope before and Zipper who added his strength. Literally on the last second, Allan managed to get hold of the rope underneath the box and hung on to it.

The alarm sounded everywhere in the whole building. Professor Nimnul, also known as Elton Nimley, and the self-proclaimed Greatest Thief in the World who were waiting for an elevator to arrive at the reception hall on the first floor were startled by the loud siren that was suddenly howling, also because they both had the same suspicion where the alarm had been set off. "The vault!" the thief shouted. "The gems!" Nimnul added. Together, they ran down the stairs to the vault and over the guards who took a bit too long to check the systems for what had been triggered, and who were too used to false alerts to take a real one serious enough.

So it was no wonder that the scientist and the thief were the first to arrive at the entrance room, just when the Rescue Rangers were about to pull the box into the air duct. "No!" Nimnul cried and jumped up and tried to catch the box. "My gems! Give me my gems back!"

The thief came to his aid, grabbed the box, and yanked it away from the air duct, causing the knot to open and Allan to slam against the wall. He slipped down the rope, but he could save himself from falling by clutching its end firmly with both hands. "Could someone please pull the rope up?" he requested.

Gadget looked down and discovered him. "Allan! What are you doing there?"

"I'm just hangin' around. Now pull me up, or don't you need this rope?"

"Monty, crank up the rest of the rope. I believe we're 'Oakmont's Thirteen' now."

Nimnul greedily took the box from the thief's hands. Looking up to the still open air vent, he saw who had tried to steal 'his' gems. He would have suspected them in New York City, but he had always believed he was safe from them in Las Vegas.

Finally, the guards entered. "Mr. Nimley?" one of them said. "I'm afraid there's no public access to the vault."

"These pesky rodents tried to steal my precious... well, what I had in this vault!" the short scientist tried to explain, speaking with his normal voice, and pointed upwards to the now closed air grille.

"Mr. Nimley, according to our records, you haven't got anything stored in the vault. Your guest has, but you haven't."

"Nimley, Nimley," Foxglove muttered, "I can't hear this stupid name any longer." She pushed against the grille.

"Foxy!" Dale shouted. "You may be able to carry me or Sparky, but you can't carry this box!"

"I'm sure there are other ways to get the box," Foxglove answered. "Besides, I don't want it. Not now."

The grille snapped open again, and out flew a small red bat. Foxglove didn't mind being seen by the humans, in fact, she enjoyed Nimnul's panicking as she approached his face. With a swift upward motion, she stole first his shades, then his wig, and placed both items into the hands of one of the guards before she disappeared into the air vent which was immediately shut again.

"My disguise!" Nimnul touched the thick glasses he had been wearing behind the shades all the time, his bald head, and what was left of the glasses.

The guards might have been slow, but they recognized a nationwide outlaw when they saw him. "Wait, you aren't Elton Nimley. You are..."

"Professor Norton Nimnul, yes!" The scientist and the thief pushed the guards aside and ran out into the corridor. Unknown to them, the rodents plus one insect and one chiropteran followed them inside the air duct.

* * *


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Desert Race

Both guards were stunned by their discovery. "Norton Nimnul?" said one. "The crazy, criminal crackpot scientist from New York City?"

"We'd better call the police," the other one suggested. "But what shall we do about these?" He pointed at eight animals of quite different species escaping the vault beneath them.

"Rats in the vault? Did Nimnul bring them, or how did they get in here?" Neither guard was aware of the fact that another good dozen small animals had been in the best-protected area of the Versailles Palace and escaped the way they had entered it, remaining unseen and not setting off the alarm.

"Look, there are two cats, too, they should take care of the rats!"

"I doubt that. See, the cats are running ahead. C'mon now, the police need to know what's going on here."

Meanwhile, partly in the hallways, partly in the air ducts and in hollows in the walls, the chase went on. Professor Nimnul and the Greatest Thief in the World weren't aware of being chased other than by uniformed law enforcers who would soon arrive at the palace. Nimnul could have suspected that those whom he knew as the Rescue Rangers and their friends were after them, but not that the former pet of his former boss wanted to lay his filthy paws on Roy Clutchcoin's shiny gemstones.

The Rangers were back in the secret alleyways which only small animals knew. This meant they were unable to see what the two humans were heading for. Monty expressed his doubts to the chipmunk who led this party of the chase, although it was him who had removed and replaced the already familiar panel in the air duct wall. "Chipper, this ain't the way after them! Are ya sure o' what yer doin'?"

"Sure I'm sure, Monty," Chip replied, quoting his girlfriend, "don't worry. And in a certain way, this is the way after them."

"But they're running into this direction!" Tammy wondered and pointed against the wall of the tunnel they were in. "We don't even know where they're running, let alone see them!"

"Imagine you were them. An evil scientist and a former spy gone professional thief in the basement of a resort hotel and casino, escaping from the vault and the howling alarm. I know the police will be here soon, you all know it, and they probably know it the best. So where are they going?"

"They're fleeing, leaving the place," Clarice proposed.

"Exactly, Clarice. And if you have to choose between running and your limousine parked in the garage, which one would you choose?"

"The limousine, of course," Clarice said.

"See? They're heading for the garage, getting the limo, and then they'll probably try to outrun the police. And we're going outside and getting the Rangerplane and the Rangerwing."

Being in his first Rescue Rangers case, Todd wasn't free of doubts either. "Chip, do you honestly believe you can pursue a limousine with your planes?"

"Yes."

Outside, a large group squadron of police cars entered the Versailles Palace's broad driveway at high speed. The policeman on the passenger's seat of the leading car, an elder Lieutenant with a lot of experience with robbers, burglars, and the like was the one leading the operation, so it was this particular car in which the radio squawked out a message from the station. "News on the Versailles case. Apparently, you'll have to deal with one certain Professor Norton Nimnul. We're working on identifying the bald man who's with him. They might try an escape in an automobile."

"Norton Nimnul?" his driver asked. "Never heard that name."

"You didn't? Oh, you should. He's wanted in several Federal States for several pretty weird crimes, most of which involve pretty weird science. Furthermore, he's prohibited to use any forms of focused, ray-emitting devices stronger than the headlights of an automobile in all 50 states, in some states even only stronger than a flashlight. We could bust him if we caught him with a portable CD player because of the laser unit in it. And this here might pretty well be beyond a portable CD player."

The police cars went into position in front of the palace, some also behind it. As huge as the building was, it didn't have so many potential safe exits. There were easily enough emergency exists to comply with safety standards, but with the palace's own security and the other clerks being on the lookout, it wouldn't be easy for Nimnul and the Thief to get anywhere. Yet, they had made it to both the garage and the limousine. The police found it out the hard way when they heard the roar of a large engine from the garage's exit.

Then everything went fast, very fast. Headlights appeared on the ramp which led down to the garage. The police had blocked both the exit and the entrance, via the latter of which the vehicle came, but the two cars standing fifteen yards away from the ramp were without a chance to stop the long white limousine which used the slope to not jump, but almost fly over them and touch down on the other side. The lieutenant took a few seconds to grasp what he had just seen and remind himself that this was not a movie before he ordered his team to get back into the cars and follow the limousine.

The thief on the limousine's passenger seat made sure that he way okay and that all his limbs and inner organs were still where he expected them to be. When this turned out to be the case, he asked Nimnul, "Where and how did you learn to drive like this?"

"Oh," Nimnul replied with a grin, "the helium in the tires and some other places of the car did the trick."

The two Ranger aircraft arrived at the scene when the police forces were piling back into their cars. They were both unusually crowded due to four additional passengers. Monty was steering the Rangerplane which was flying ahead with Dale next to him who had Foxglove sitting on his lap. Zipper's place was the bottle cap. On the backseat, there were Todd whose PDA was attached to the suction cups on the landing gear again, Melissa who wouldn't leave Todd alone, come what may, and Allan who under no circumstances wanted to sit in one plane with Chip for his own safety reasons. The rest of the group rode the Rangerwing. Gadget was piloting it, Chip was the co-pilot, LaWahini was squeezed in between them, and Clarice and Sparky shared the backseat with the mobile headquarters equipment which had been loaded into the Rangerwing at Allan's request and a lack of denial from Chip. Tammy rode the fuselage behind them which put her in charge of the rear plunger harpoon.

Dale was most amazed by the limousine's jump. "Wowie-zowie, have you seen this?"

"There they go," Melissa worried, "and the gems with them."

Allan sighed out loudly. "All the effort was in vain..."

"Oh no," Monty said, "the Rescue Rangers've still got some aces up their sleeves." He pulled a lever, a hatch opened in the Rangerplane's front, and out came a plunger harpoon. "I'm glad I could convince Gadget ta keep it in 'ere an' build another one when she put the Rangerwing tagether. Dale?"

"Sorry, Foxy," the secret agent look-alike chipmunk apologized, "but sometimes a 'munk's gotta do what a 'munk's gotta do." His bat girlfriend stood up and let him slip between her and Monty. He didn't just sit there, however. He took the harpoon and shot the plunger on the rope at the nearest police car.

From the Rangerwing, LaWahini watched as the car began to drag the Rangerplane after it. "Wow, that's a form of surfing even I've never seen before. Gadget, does this plane have such a harpoon under the hood, too?"

"Uh, no..."

"Alright, Chip, Gadget, make sure I don't fly overboard!"

"Why," Chip wondered, "what are you—"

He stopped in the tracks when he looked up at LaWahini who had just gotten up and held Gadget's plunger crossbow in her hands, aiming at the Rangerplane's stern with one eye squeezed shut. She pulled the trigger, skillfully countered the recoil, and the plunger dashed forward and attached to the older Ranger aircraft safely. "Bullseye," LaWahini cheered.

The sudden and strong tug did not catch her off-guard, yet she had to balance herself. Once she felt safe again, she planted her feet against the Rangerwing's dashboard, and the other passengers felt the craft accelerate up to what was a break-neck speed for rodents. Firmly clutching the plunger harpoon in her hands and practically steering the Rangerwing, LaWahini shouted out, "You were so wrong, Shaka Baka! The water ski lessons do pay off for me!"

When the eight animal gangsters came out of the giant building, they saw the police leave the place. One car was close enough to catch it, but Mepps tripped and fell over, and Fat Cat and his other three goons stumbled over him. Only Francis, Louie, and Moe managed to jump upon the rear bumper.

"You'd better not get the gems, rat," Fat Cat yelled, "or else I'll get them from you!"

"Sorry, boss," Mepps whined from under him. "Just don't punish me too hard."

"As if any punishment had an effect on you," Fat Cat complained, "it never did. It'd be just another waste of time, energy, and my own precious patience."

With squealing tires, the limousine turned onto Las Vegas Boulevard which mere seconds later was illuminated by the light bars on two dozen police cars. It was easy to tell by the way Nimnul steered the enormously long automobile that he was quite used to being chased by the authorities. He floored the pedal and accelerated down the Strip, but he couldn't bring much distance between his limo and the police. The Rangers in their flying contraptions unseen by the humans were glad that he drove straight on since whatever steering devices their craft had were not designed for such high speeds, and they would drift far off their course in every curve. As it was the middle of the night, there were few cars to evade, and he had plenty of space to do so.

He sped out of the city and stayed on the road for a short while before he suddenly turned left. Not only did this mean another curve for the police to drive and for the Rangers to cope with, but there was actually not the slightest trace of a path, let alone a street, where Nimnul drove. He directed his car right through the desert, and while the Rangers were glad they were the only ones in the chase who were not shaken by the many bumps on the ground, there was still the immense cloud of dust raised by the cars ahead of them which made both breathing and seeing where the journey went quite hard.

All of a sudden, the police cars below the Rangers stopped. Monty and Gadget had to engage the air brakes of their respective aircraft, too. LaWahini fell on her seat as hard as she could fall onto the cushion. "I guess the chase is over," Chip said. "You can reel in the rope again, LaWahini. Dale is doing the same anyway."

When the dust cleared, they saw the limousine with its front doors open. The police had successfully arrested the self-proclaimed Greatest Thief in the World who yelled out, "I've been tricked! I've been double-crossed! I'm going to pay you back, Nimnul!" But the crazy professor was nowhere in sight, his seat in the limo was empty, and despite his shortness, his rage would have made spotting him amongst the policemen rather easy.

"Where's Nimnul?" Sparky wondered.

"We'd better find him," Chip suggested.

Gadget switched on the Rangerwing's headlight and was about to fly into the darkness of the desert night when suddenly two much stronger lights lit up at some distance ahead of the Rangers.

"Nimnul!" Gadget identified the source of the light correctly without even knowing what the pair of lights was mounted on.

"Quick, Gadget turn off the light," Chip shouted, "unless you want him to find us!"

"Okay." The Rangerwing's bow went dark again. "But I'd like to know what he came up with this time." With these words, Gadget directed the Rangerwing towards the unknown object, and the Rangerplane followed. The inventress was not disappointed at all by what she saw in the pale light of the moon. It was indeed Norton Nimnul's latest invention which he had probably hidden away in the desert for a long time.

It had a fuselage similar to that of a one-seat airplane with a canopy on top of it. The similarity went on with the pair of wings which consisted of four segments each and were folded and retracted against the fuselage, but it ended at the tail which lacked any form of fins. Instead, four big swiveling fans were mounted on both sides of the nose and the tail. Ahead of the canopy, two headlights based on white LEDs were built into the fuselage. And the five original Rangers were certain that they had seen the long spire protruding from the nose somewhere before.

After the Rangers' planes had landed at a safe distance and their drives were shut down, the Rangers could hear Nimnul's talking more clearly. He closed a hatch behind the open canopy, climbed down his machine, and cackled madly. "The gems are in their proper places, the energy is up, and the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 is ready to go!"

"Not if I can help it!" Todd shouted. He jumped off the Rangerplane and made a mad dash for the mobile laser weapon.

* * *


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: A New Tiny Hero

Gadget just sat and stared with her eyes wide open. "Golly! I expected him to build another laser cannon, but none that can fly. This thing is downright amazing, even if Nimnul—wait, was that just Todd?"

"Todd!" Melissa screamed. "Come back here! You don't have to play hero for the Rangers! Or me! Or... anyone!"

But Todd didn't listen. In fact, he hardly heard Melissa shout after him. He had better things to do. With only a few leaps, despite being all out of training physically, he made it onto the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14, unseen by its inventor who was busy starting up the systems.

He opened the hatch behind the canopy which was transparent for reasons probably only Nimnul himself knew and descended into the guts of the machine. There he saw an assortment of circuit boards and the fourteen stolen gems. Several servo motors buzzed as the arrangement of gems auto-calibrated. Red light-emitting diodes lit up on a circuit board during this process and caught Todd's attention. "Can it be, did he really..."

The auto-calibration ended, tiny brakes held the frames in which the gems were mounted in position, and the entire machine began to move. LEDs lit up on another two circuit boards. "He did mark the circuits with LEDs! Thanks a lot!"

Outside, police and small animals watched as the weird contraption rose up onto two steel legs until it stood like a velociraptor looking out for prey. And prey it soon found, plenty of it. Several dozen policemen and also a few policewomen were standing behind their cars with their guns drawn and pointed at the mobile laser cannon. The Lieutenant who led the operation took his megaphone and shouted, "End of the line, Professor Nimnul! Hands up, and get out of... this... thing!"

"What about... NO!" Nimnul's determined voice sounded from a concealed speaker. As he was illuminated by several searchlights, everyone could see him stick out his tongue.

"Alright, that's it! Fire!" Upon the Lieutenant's order, the police began to shoot at the strange contraption.

Melissa was about to collapse. "Todd! Oh my... Todd is still in there!"

Todd was busy ripping two wires off of one of the many calibration motors when he heard the bullets hit the hull. Instinctively, he squeezed himself between the circuit boards as if they were solid enough to protect him from being shot, and more so than the steel panels the fuselage was made of. To his surprise, however, none of the projectiles managed to pierce the hull, in fact, they didn't even dent it. Only the still open hatch disquieted him, but he figured that shooting into the opening was almost impossible, so going up and trying to shut it would be far more dangerous than leaving it open. With these thoughts in mind, he ignored the shooting and went back to his work on the wires.

"Too-ra-loo," Monterey Jack commented on the indestructibility of Nimnul's latest creation, "that bloomin' thing is bullet-proof!"

Gadget laid a comforting arm around Melissa. "See, Todd is safe in there. Well, at least safe from the police guns."

"I hope you're right, Gadget," Melissa said. "What's he doing in that thing at all?"

"Melissa, you seem to know him well. Do you think he can figure out how such a machine works?"

"Well, maybe..."

Melissa's words were rudely interrupted by Nimnul. "Please, gentlemen. You're just wasting your precious ammunition and my precious time. Here, I'll show you how--woah, ho, ho..." While turning towards the police, the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 stumbled slightly but notably.

"Heh," Tammy said, "looks like Nimnul' precious machine has got a malfunction."

"Or mouse-function," Gadget added with something between a grin and a smile.

Sparky replied, "Deserves him right. Wait, 'mouse-function?'"

While Gadget explained to Sparky what she meant, Todd stood inside the walking weapon, held up two wires whose other ends he had wrapped around a hot connector, and cried out triumphantly, "It works! I can control this beast!"

Sparky stared at Gadget. "You mean he..." Gadget nodded.

Without hesitating, the lab rat ran straight to the machine which had come to a halt again. "Todd! Wait! You're not gonna have all the fun for yourself!"

Allan stood aside the Rescue Rangers group and watched the showdown unfold until someone behind him said, "Talking about fun, it's my turn to have fun!" He turned around and saw his brother Francis. The next thing he experienced was Francis' fist through his face which sent him flying backwards and bumping into Monty.

The rotund Australian mouse reacted immediately. "What's up there?"

"My rotten brother's up! But not for long!"

Allan was about to charge at Francis, but Monty quickly placed himself between the two rat brothers. "Enough!" he roared. "Chip, Dale, I could need some 'elp 'here!"

"Wha..." Chip directed his attention away from the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 which Sparky was just entering and towards what was going on behind him. "Oh, it's you again."

Francis was discontent with not being able to beat Allan up, so he called his lackeys. "Louie, Moe, take care of this!"

"Yeah," Monty said, "bring 'em on! I can easily take care o' these two blighters, too!"

Chip walked up to Monty and the rats. "Really, and I thought the quarrels between Dale and me were bad, but you guys are worse than Gadget and LaWahini used to be! What are you fighting about anyway? Allan, you helped us put Francis' long-time boss out of business, hopefully for good. Don't you think this was vengeance enough for... whatever was between the two of you?"

"Hah," Francis laughed out, "now you get what you deserve!"

"You're not a bit better, Francis! You've worked for this bald-headed crook for two decades. And for what? Adventures? Did he pay you anything back, let alone enough to justify hangin' around his prison cell? What did you really get out of all those heists you pulled off for him?"

"Uh... well..."

"I'm waiting for an answer, Francis Capone!"

"I did it because of my older brother, Rupert, also known as Rat Capone. He wanted to be a crime-lord, and I sorta wanted something similar. That human was a welcome opportunity."

"Again, what did you get out of it, other than trouble?" Chip inquired. "Nothing, right?"

After a few seconds of relative silence, Francis admitted, "Right. I spent almost half my life with two retarded goons playing evil spy and then super-thief. Just because I was blinded by the shiny style of crime Rupert was after and seemed to be able to reach. And unlike Rupert, I wasn't even my own boss. I was nothing but an underpaid henchrat of a human crook."

"And what are you gonna do now?"

Allan suggested, "What about turning good and fighting crime for a change? Your spy skills should be a great help."

"Now that's a good idea," Chip approved of the suggestion. "Capone & Capone, Detective Agency."

"What?!" The two rats crossed their arms and turned their backs on each other. "I won't work with him!" they said in unison.

Monty slapped them both on their backs. "Now that's what I call a bonzer attitude fer startin' yer careers. Welcome t' our business, mates! Right, Chipper?"

"Right, Monty! Right, Dale? Dale?"

"Chip!" Dale shouted back. "Nimnul has just cut two police cars in half!"

And indeed, most of the Rangers had been witnesses of the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 slicing through two police cars right between the front and rear doors with almost surgical precision. A third car got its roof separated under Nimnul's crazy laughter. "And here's a top chop for the hot rodders among you!"

These acts of senseless destruction did not only appall all the Rangers. They were also sure that this was not all the cannon was able to do, and that Nimnul had made it for far bigger targets. Tammy who had gotten to know him on several past cases pointed out the obvious. "Someone's gotta stop this madman!"

"We can't do much," Gadget said. "We can only hope that Todd and Sparky will succeed in whatever they're up to."

Todd just stared at the beams of light directed, shaped, and bundled by the gems, knowing that the cannon was being used. Sparky lay on top of the fuselage between the open hatch and the canopy in which Nimnul was too busy playing with this invention to notice the lab rat he once conditioned and didn't know what to pay more attention, the glowing gems, the stunned mouse, or the destruction. Finally, he knocked onto the metal, and Todd looked up. "Sparky! You're here?"

"Yup. Thought you might some help."

"Sparky, what's he shooting at?" a shocked Todd asked. "Any... any casualties?"

"A couple of police cars so far." Sparky gave the scene another glance as the machine moved slightly to the left. "Uh-oh!"

"What's up?"

"He's gonna cut another car in half, this time length-wise."

"That's it, Sparky! Come in here, we need to stop him before the beam reaches the fuel reservoir! I'll tell you how everything works! Get yourself a pair of wires, and let's go!"

Sparky jumped down onto the large circuit board on which Todd was standing. "I don't need wires." He grasped the ends of Todd's wires, and a blue glow surrounded him. "So what's controlling the legs?"

Nimnul cackled madly. "Come to think I'm not even using a twentieth of the firepower this baby can produce." He directed the laser cannon a bit upward for a dramatical effect.

But before he put the joysticks with which he controlled most of the functions back into their center positions, the machine suddenly and unexpectedly yanked itself upward as though it wanted to shoot down a satellite.

Todd grinned. "See how it works?"

Sparky grinned back. "Now let me try!"

Nimnul brought the contraption back into a horizontal position. It then remained horizontal, but hopped up and down. Only his seat belts kept the crazy scientist from bumping against the canopy again and again.

Sparky laughed out loud. "Hey, this is fun!"

Todd answered, "Oh yes! Now let's do it together!"

The laser cannon began to dance about wildly. The police were uncertain as to what to think of the situation, other than they had never seen a technical device behave like that. The Rescue Rangers of course knew what was going on. "Go, Todd!" Melissa cried out. She opened her violin case, took her violin, and started fiddling along with the dancing machine. "Yeee-hawwww!"

"Crikey," Monty said, "what a rodeo! I don't believe Nimnul's enjoyin' it as much as we are."

Meanwhile, Nimnul held on to the joysticks which seemed to be rather useless other than for keeping him from being tossed about. "Must... be a... malfunction... in the... leg controls... but who needs legs..." He loosened the grip off of one of the sticks and operated a switch.

The sound of spinning fans and the sudden sandstorm told the bystanders what was happening. The Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 was taking off. The propellers on all four corners pushed it upward, and the wings unfolding on both sides alerted both the police and the Rangers that Nimnul was about to escape, and that he would most likely be hard to follow. As a farewell present, he aimed the laser cannon at the police car ahead again and fired it. The laser beam pierced steel, melted security glass, and mere moments after the police were able to duck and cover, ignited the fuel, and the car exploded in a fireball.

Staring at the circuit boards, Todd admitted, "Sparky, we've got a problem. We're airborne, playing with the legs is useless since they don't touch the ground anymore, something out there just exploded, and I haven't figured out how the flight controls work."

"I figured out something," Sparky replied, "namely that Nimnul installed three identical boards for the flight controls to make them fail-safe."

"Great. What now?"

Still hovering, the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 turned to the left. Lights in the cockpit indicated to its creator that the wings were unfolded and locked. The propellers swiveled forward, and the machine accelerated forward.

"To the remaining cars," the Lieutenant commanded, "and after him!" The policepersons piled into what cars were left after the destruction, including the roofless one, and headed back to the road which, however, led back to Las Vegas and not after Nimnul. The Rangers took their advantage, jumped into their two aircraft, and flew after him. They had to pursue the mad scientist and their two friends, but the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 flew through the night so fast that keeping up with it was out of question.

Allan and Francis looked at each other. "This leaves us here," Francis said. "Any idea what to do now, little brother?"

"From the top of my mind, I'd suggest walking back to Vegas."

"And then?"

"Then I suppose Fat Cat is still around. I don't think the Rangers would wanna deal with him when they're back."

"Well, there happen to be a few things between him and me anyway that need... being worked out. Let's go."

Already a few miles further south and up in the air, Todd peeked out of the open hatch. He saw where Las Vegas was, used his sense of orientation, and realized where Nimnul was flying. "Sparky, do you wanna know what's ahead of us?"

"Why, what is ahead of us?"

"Hoover Dam!"

* * *


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Be Courageous, Be Rewarded

"Hoover Dam?" Sparky's eyes went wide. "You mean he might..."

"Shoot the dam into smithereens, yes," Todd confirmed. "Or at least cut a hole into it, one that's large enough to cause a catastrophe."

"Okay, let's quit playing with him and stop this mayhem right here and now!"

"And how shall we achieve this? There are three control units for the flight mode! We can't take them all out quickly enough, not even disturb them!"

Sparky knelt down, put his hands under two of the boards, and held on to them firmly. "Then we'll yank them out! Take the one over there, I'll take these here!"

Together, the two rodents removed all three flight control boards from their slots. The immediate result was that all four propellers stopped spinning. The Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 was remaining airborne thanks to its still high speed. but both speed and altitude decreased, also due to the aerodynamics of the contraption not being optimized for high-speed flight.

Todd took another look out through the hatch, but what he saw he didn't like. "Sparky, I'm not really feeling comfortable with how fast the ground is coming closer. Was that part of your plan, too?"

"Why, of course, I wanted to take this thing down to the ground!"

Todd was about to ask if crashing it was really necessary, but he realized that there wasn't any other option, they couldn't steer it down and land it safely, also because Nimnul still had his share of control over it. Besides, if they wrecked it, it wouldn't be able to do any harm to anything or anyone anymore. No matter how much brains Sparky had put into this plan, in case it was a plan at all, Todd couldn't come up with any better solution. Yet, one thing had to be done before the crash. "But we need to get outta here!"

"Oh, we will be tossed outta here when the laser needle hits the ground. We won't have to take care of this ourselves."

"What about a less painful way, Sparky?!"

Sparky gave an impression as if he just remembered something unexpectedly. "Right, this is indeed gonna hurt, right... Wait," he quickly changed his mind, "I'd like to try something."

Todd was about to panic. He could almost feel every single cactus underneath the craft. "Try what? And in which time? We haven't got much time left!"

"Maybe I can control the descent and make the landing a bit smoother," Sparky answered and stuck two fingers into one of the flight control slots. Sparks were flying about, circuit boards began to glow as if they were overloaded, but the front propellers came back to life and moved into an upward position.

"Hey, that's good, Sparky!" Todd cheered as the nose went upward again. But it didn't stop, it even went on rising as the propellers ran at full speed and pushed the desert air downwards. "Sparky? You can stop now! Sparky!"

"Todd!" Sparky shouted back. "My fingers seem to be stuck in here!"

"Then get them unstuck, and hurry up before we turn upside-down!"

"I wish I could, Todd, but I can't!"

Todd suddenly changed his mind. "Plan revision, Sparky, leave them in, we are going upside-down! Leave them in until we're right side up again!

"I haven't got much of a choice, Todd!" Sparky answered.

"Anyway, go on and try to free yourself! I'm not in the right mood for playing looping coaster!" Immediately after saying this, Todd realized that the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 will most probably not be able to hold its altitude and crash sooner or later. And telling from the way it raced downwards after the first half of the roll, he got more and more certain that the crash was going to occur earlier than he wished for.

The flying ray gun had no chance to pull itself up far enough anymore. It slammed into the ground before its front propellers could lift it up high enough to save it. The spire on the bow that was one of the more important parts of the laser cannon itself deformed when it cut through the desert sand which then flew up high into the air. The cloud of sand and dust grew even larger when the fuselage hit the ground.

Upon the impact, Todd felt how he was tossed out of the machine, but the sand all around him, combined with the darkness, rendered him unable to see where exactly he was and where he as flying. All he knew was that he was flying, that he wasn't made for flying, and that nothing would keep the laws of nature from being enforced. He couldn't even see Sparky anywhere, so to be sure, he called him. "Sparky?" He had to cough out some desert sand that had gotten into his throat. "Sparky?"

"Here!" Sparky's voice was faintly audible in between the noises produced by the still crashing Nimnul Laser Cannon 14. "I'm unstuck!"

"Lucky you! Now prepare for a hard—" Todd didn't get to speak any further. He was caught off guard by the ground. "Uh." His surroundings suddenly went even foggier and darker than they had already been.

After some time, he couldn't estimate how much, Todd slowly regained his senses. His head was hurting somehow. He must have been not entirely able to keep it from hitting the ground, he figured. Said ground felt like the desert sand he landed on. He was lying on his back.

Faint noises he could hear from not so far away. Some occasional murmuring he heard around him. And someone was sobbing very near to his left. He opened his eyes to see what was going on, and who was in such grief.

It was still night. A bit of light shone from somewhere in his feet's direction, but much farther away. Yet, it was enough for him to see those who were sitting and standing around him, and especially who was crying so bitterly.

It was Melissa. The half-Japanese mouse knelt next to him with her face buried in her hands and shivering under her tears. Behind her stood Clarice, her hands on Melissa's shoulders, and tried her best to comfort her. She was also the first to notice that he had opened his eyes.

"Melissa," she said softly, "Melissa, look, he's awake."

Melissa lifted her head out of her hands. Todd could see the moisture of her tears sparkle on her face. "Todd?" she said with a fragile voice and looked into his eyes. "Todd?"

"Hi Melissa," Todd replied, "nice to see you."

Tammy who was sitting to his right was the next one he noticed. "Todd," she asked him, "how do you feel?"

"Fine, except a bit of a headache and having been out cold for a while. Say, how come Melissa is—" He sat up quickly when a horrible thought came to his mind. "Ohmigosh! Sparky!! Where's Sparky?!"

"Sparky's okay," Tammy explained. "He's with the others somewhere around Nimnul's machine." She pointed ahead of Todd where police searchlights illuminated the desert around the crashed Nimnul Laser Cannon 14. Nimnul himself was arrested, Todd couldn't hear what he said, but he was most probably cursing and protesting loudly. The police examined the remains of the unusual contraption, and unnoticed by them, so did a number of small animals.

Melissa interrupted his studying the scene as she wrapped her arms around him and held him close, firmly but gently and lovingly. "Oh Todd," she started sobbing again, "Todd, please don't scare me like this again! Never!"

Todd felt awkward. He had known Melissa since he joined the Destiny Unlimited Orchestra, but in all those years, he had never seen her cry. He knew her as someone cheerful, someone who usually had a smile on her face, at least whenever he was around. The most he ever saw was her feeling down for some reason, but generally, she was easy to cheer up. And now they were holding each other, and she was soaking his jacket with tears as she cried her heart out. On top of that, she seemed to be crying for him, something he found hard to comprehend as he didn't feel anything wrong with him, so there was no need to worry in his opinion. He softly stroked her back which caused her to pull him even closer. He wondered why neither Clarice nor Tammy tried to comfort her, why they just stood and watched, and what that smile on Clarice's face meant.

After a while, Melissa lifted her head and looked right into his eyes. He returned that look, something made his view automatically lock onto her beautiful eyes. But none of them said a word. They just sat on the desert sand, still in each other's arms, and stared at one another. Although Todd felt like saying something, asking Melissa how she was now, or talking about Nimnul's contraption and how he had successfully sabotaged it, a part of his mind kept him from chatting into the silence. He noticed that Melissa had to swallow. He almost felt the tension that built up, a tension which unloaded itself all of a sudden when she moved forward again and pressed her lips onto his. It wasn't the occasional peck on the cheek he received every once in a while, for his birthday, for his remembering her birthday, or for whatever else. No, it was a real kiss, the sort of kiss he used to wish he had a chance to give Clarice, but was almost certain he'd never experience, being the introverted loner that he was. It felt wonderful, there was no doubt for him, but at the same time he could not comprehend why Melissa kissed him, why she kissed him so passionately no less. He had always lived by the trope that nerds never get kissed, let alone by someone as beautiful as Melissa. She obviously felt his doubts about what was happening, he wondered if she could taste them, because she let go for a second and said, "Todd, don't think too much about it. Enjoy it." Then she continued the kiss.

He didn't know how much time had passed until they were only holding each other's hands anymore. Melissa was still breathing more heavily than usual, and he realized so was he. His heart rate was above normal, too, but despite his crash landing a while ago, he didn't have any problems with it. The half-Japanese mouse finally stood up, still with his hands in hers. "Get up, Todd," she said. "Let's have a walk. Just you and me." He actually wasn't sure if he was able to stand on his two feet, but he managed. And then, for the first time since the crash, he saw where he was. In some distance, he saw a body of water glisten and reflect the moonlight. It was Lake Mead, the reservoir behind Hoover Dam. If he and Sparky had hesitated for only a wee bit longer or taken a little more time to remove the circuit boards, the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 would most likely have experienced a far worse crash either on the mountains around the lake or on the lake itself. And it was right there that Melissa headed with him.

The two mice walked together to a place from which they had a wonderful view across the northern parts of the lake. However, instead of the lake, it was each other again that they looked at. Melissa struggled for words to say, this was obvious even to Todd. Yet, he remained patient and waited for her to speak. "Todd," she began, "you mean a lot to me. A whole lot." She let a sigh hear. "I wonder if you've got even a remote idea how much you mean to me."

"Well, we're pretty good friends, I guess..."

"It goes far beyond our friendship, Todd."

"You don't mean the orchestra, do you?" Todd asked, and he was serious.

"No, I don't mean the orchestra. Sure, it is nice to play in the same orchestra as you, but there's so much more to it... Do you still not know?"

"Sorry, Melissa," Todd apologized, "but... I can't think of anything that might make sense to me..."

"Why do you think I've cried for you?" Melissa inquired, close to tears again. "Why do you think I've kissed you? Why the presents and the other nice things I've done for you? Why so many lunches and dinners together, just you and me? Still not a clue?"

"Uh... the last two parts... I mean, we're friends, so..."

Melissa clutched Todd's hands in hers another bit firmer as if to relieve herself of some of the stress she was experiencing. She looked right into his eyes as though she tried to see what was inside them and said what she had wanted to say for so many years. "Todd, I love you."

Trying to match what she had said to his believes, he replied, "Of course you do, otherwise we wouldn't be the friends we are."

"No, Todd," she clarified, "I love you, love as in this," and kissed him once more.

Todd felt the perfectly arranged world around him shatter. As wonderful as the kiss felt for his heart, his mind still couldn't sort it out. Could it really be that she was feeling for him like he had always believed he was feeling for Clarice? After finishing the kiss, Melissa asked, "Todd, what's your problem? Please tell me!"

Todd explained as if this was the most normal thing in the world since it was indeed pretty normal for his own standards, "My problem is that this is not supposed to happen. You're a wonderful person, Melissa, and you're sure attractive, I guess. It's nice to have you around. But it's just as impossible for you or anyone else to fall in love with me."

"Why should it be impossible?"

"Look at me, Melissa. Oh right, you're already looking at me. But what do you see before you? What am I? I'm a regular computer nerd. A nerd, Melissa! I'm not even supposed to have friends outside the Internet, let alone a girl who loves me. Nerds are doomed to remain singles and loners for life, and expected to lock themselves away in—"

"Todd," Melissa interrupted him, "that's a cliché. A cliché that doesn't apply to you. You're not a loner, let alone doomed to be one. See, you've got the orchestra, and you've done a lot for the orchestra and for the show. You've got Clarice. See how grateful she is to have you and your talent around? I don't think that a real nerd would be half as musically talented as you. A nerd would sit and pre-program his entire music whereas you can actually play and perform live. And most of all, Todd, you've got me." She laid her arms around his back and her head onto his chest and added, "Me, the girl who loves you as dearly as someone can love someone else."

There was nothing for him to say against these words of hers anymore. He just remained quiet and returned her embrace. For a while, they just stood and shared some tenderness. Then she turned her head upward so that her chin rested on his chest, right beneath his neck. "Todd," she demanded, "kiss me. Kiss me to prove you don't reject me."

Todd looked into her face. Even though it was dark, the moon provided the two mice with some light, enough light for him to realize how beautiful she really was. Her soft-furred face framed by long black hair, her almond eyes revealing the Japanese heritage from her mother's side, her delicately-shaped muzzle with a cute little pink nose and a slightly open mouth that waited to be kissed, he realized that he had somehow never taken any notice of all this, as obsessed with Clarice as he used to be. He had seen many mice in Las Vegas, in the orchestra, at the show, on the streets, in the parks, but she was easily one of the most beautiful mice he had ever met. Not only that, she was also one of the nicest mice he had ever met, intelligent, good-hearted, and at least as talented as she described him. This very mouse had befriended him for years, and now she stood there in his arms and longed for more than just friendship like she had actually longed for he didn't know how long.

Todd understood that she could make him the happiest rodent in Nevada or at least something that came very close. No, he didn't want to reject her, she was too wonderful for him to simply shove her away and turn back into the loner he had almost convinced himself he was.

"Melissa," he asked, "will you still be my friend?"

"I'll be your everything, Todd."

He felt something which he believed resembled stage fright, at least, he felt excited. Under different circumstances, he knew, this feeling would have been justified, for this would have been his first kiss. But Melissa had already kissed him twice, so he knew what to do. And he simply did it. He closed his eyes, directed his face downwards, and kissed her back.

Chapter 33: One More Mission Left

7


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Case Is Not Over Yet

The wreck of the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14 was still lying on the desert ground, illuminated by police searchlights. Its removal had been ordered, but a crane and a couple of flatbed trucks was not expected to arrive until within the next hours. A few small animals were still around, too, and one in particular was interested in the unusual contraption.

"Golly," Gadget cheered, "this is a fantastic idea! Four swiveling propellers on the corners! I bet this thing was able to fly backwards!"

Monty laid his arm around the mousette. "Gadget luv, ya do know it was Nimnul who invented this, don't ya?"

"Sure I know, Monty. But even an evil genius can be a genius at times. And this can be explained with commonly known physics for a change. I still don't have a clue how he got the Modemizer to work, and I was affected by it myself. Or the Gigantico Gun, remember that one?"

"'Ow could I ferget th' Gigantico Gun? We must've dealt with that bloomin' thing in a dozen cases at least. We should've destroyed it right away."

"By the way," Sparky asked, "do we know where it's now?"

"We believe Nimnul still has it," Chip answered.

"Then why don't we take it from him before he wreaks any havoc with it again?"

"An' smash it inta smithereens?" Monty suggested.

"Come on, Monty," Sparky said, "it could be very useful for us."

Gadget smiled, her brain bursting with ideas. "Yes, we could shrink it down to our size with its own ray, using a mirror."

Chip explained, "We'd first need to find Nimnul's current lair. He might reside at the Versailles Palace permanently, he might as well have another hideout back in New York City. The police will probably be faster than us. But then again, they failed to retrieve the Gigantico Gun so many times before. Who knows where in whichever lair he stashed it away?"

"We could go search for it," Dale proposed. "See, Nimnul's busted, he won't be anywhere around it for a while, an' the police might lead us straight to his place. Can we, Chipper?"

"Well," Chip said, "in case the police do lead us straight to where it is or might be... it's still better than leaving it somewhere from where this madman can take it back easily. But I'm not sure if we shall really keep it."

It appeared to be mere coincidence when suddenly the Rangers overheard the radio in one of the police cars squawk. The Lieutenant himself answered the call. "Any news?"

The voice replied, "We searched Nimnul's suite at the Versailles Palace. He had checked in under the name of Elton Nimley. We found..." the voice paused before it spoke on, "stuff. Several weird devices which we're not sure what they are and what they do. Guns of sorts and... well, stuff."

"Do not operate any of them," the Lieutenant ordered. "Again, do not operate any of them. Who knows what'll happen. Collect them, and send them to the FBI offices in New York, they demanded to have them in case we can find any. Undamaged, if possible. I'd like to know what this lunatic could have threatened us with, and obviously, so do they. Got it?"

"Got it. Over and out."

Dale grinned. "See, sometimes it can be that easy."

The mouse in the Hawaiian-style sarong nudged the chipmunk in the Hawaiian-style shirt. "Say, Dale," LaWahini asked, "what about a little... heist at the FBI? The two of us could get the Gigantico Gun back with no problems."

Dale swallowed hard out of reflex like he always did when a blond mouse said these words. And Foxglove's reply was somehow fitting. "You'll have plenty of problems if you go there with him," she pointed at Dale, "and without me," she pointed at herself.

"You might need some help with the high-tech part," Sparky said. "I'd gladly provide you with this help." In fact, he didn't want LaWahini to go anywhere without him either.

Zipper, landing on Monty's shoulder, wondered if it was just him, or if the new Rangers were already working on their own cases.

"Well, pally," Monty said, "they're Rescue Rangers all right. Eager ta jump inta the action."

"Speaking of newbies, any news from Tammy?" Chip asked. "Or Todd and Melissa, for that matter?"

"Ask 'er yerself, Chipper me lad, she's comin' right for ya." Monty motioned at something behind Chip who then turned around to see Tammy and Clarice arrive.

The red-headed squirrel maid smiled. "Good news, Todd is okay. A few bruises maybe, but otherwise okay."

"Actually," Clarice added, "he's more than okay." She smiled knowingly.

"Where is he then?" Chip wanted to know. "And where's Melissa? I take it they want to fly back to Las Vegas with us, also because we've still got Todd's computer."

"Don't worry, Chip," Clarice said, "they'll come back. Just grant them some time."

Foxglove's eyes went wide. "You mean they finally..."

"Uh-huh."

Foxglove immediately joined Clarice in smiling. "Awww, that's so wonderful." She snagged her chipmunk, wrapped her wings around him, and nuzzled his cheek. "Remember how we started back then?"

"How could I ever forget that?" Dale said and received a kiss from his bat girl.

While examining Nimnul's machine, Gadget had followed the talk among her friends. She turned towards them. "Don't you think that we should reward Todd for what he did for us? I mean, he did so much for us so many times, he ought to be paid back in a way. And since he isn't around now, we could take the chance and think something up."

"Have you got something special in mind, Gadget?" Chip asked.

"Wlachally, yes. Clarice. You've known Todd for so long now, did he ever tell you what town exactly he's from? As in where the pet shop is where Chris bought him?"

Todd was unaware of this. He was still standing by Lake Mead, and all he currently cared for was the beautiful mouse whom he had laid an arm around, and who rested her head on his shoulder. They stood and enjoyed the view and having each other close, and so they had for several minutes. The adventure which had come to a good end not so long ago was almost forgotten. All that mattered was them.

"I love you, Todd," Melissa said quietly. She looked up to him in expectation of an answer.

Todd looked back at her, how she stood there with her chin on his shoulder and one arm around his waist and smiled at him. She loved him, but what did he feel for her? What should he say as a reply? He did feel something. It wasn't alarming, it wasn't frightening, nor was it really disquieting. It was rather... heart-warming. It was a wonderful feeling. In a sense, it felt as though he had come home to somewhere that's rather home than his mouse hole in Las Vegas, and rather home than the pet shop. Was it love? Then again, he thought, what else could it be? It was also different from what he had felt for Clarice, and that was not love.

"I love you, too, Melissa," he whispered.

She gave him a small kiss and said, "May this moment never end."

At least Todd was called back to reality. "But we need to get back to Las Vegas somehow. We need to go back to the Rescue Rangers."

"And you want your PDA back, I guess."

"And I want my PDA back. And I don't want to haul it all the way through the desert."

"I could help you," Melissa offered. "But it'd still be a long march, you're right. And the desert is anything but romantic once the sun is up."

"So shall we go back now?" Todd suggested.

"Okay." She slipped her hand around his elbow.

Meanwhile, the Rangers had gathered and worked up a plan. Not all details had been worked out yet, though. "But who knows if they're still there?" Tammy remarked. "A lot could've happened to them throughout the last years, they could have escaped or sold and fed to lizards or... I don't know what!"

"Tammy's got a point there," Foxglove said. "I'll fly ahead, check the situation, and then come back and report to you."

"The idea is good, Foxy, but do you think you can really do it?" Chip expressed his doubts. "You've been up all night, and you're not used to a nocturnal life anymore. Not to mention that it's pitch black dark, and you don't know Nevada as well as you know New York City."

"I'm a bat, Chip, okay?" Foxglove reminded him. "If there's someone among the Rescue Rangers who can find their way in the darkness, it's me. And don't worry about me getting tired. This case won't let me sleep so soon. Besides, Dale, do I ever fall asleep on our late late night movie sessions?"

Dale grinned. "Heh, no, Foxy. You loom over me with your wing spread and you nibble on my neck with your fangs when we're watching vampire movies, you roll on the couch laughing when an old sci-fi flick turns so corny that even I think it's bad, but you never fall asleep." He laid an arm around his beloved bat and pecked her cheek, making her giggle.

"But wouldn't Todd and Melissa get suspicious if they see me fly away?" Foxglove mentioned a detail she considered important.

"Not if we can help it," Chip answered. "We let them sit on the Rangerwing, they won't be able to look backwards if they're sitting on the backseat. Your seat will be on the Rangerplane which will follow. And if the situation is appropriate, someone on the Rangerwing will give you a sign so that you can leave the group and stay unnoticed."

"A sign? Let me do it," LaWahini suggested. "I think I've got an idea as to how."

"Fine," Clarice said. "Now all that's missing is the main person. Where's Todd?" She took a glance into the direction where she had seen him last. "Oh, never mind, there he is."

The others looked into the same direction. It was easy to spot Todd's white fur and Melissa's white blouse in the darkness as they approached the group. Melissa was still holding on to Todd's arm. More than a thousand words could tell, her smile told the beholders that she was happy.

"Sorry," Todd said, "I hope you haven't been waiting for us too long."

"Todd," Chip announced, "we've got a surprise for you to say thank you for your support tonight. You shall not remember the Rescue Rangers as ungrateful."

"A surprise?" Todd wondered. "What is it?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise," LaWahini explained, "if we told you right away, would it? Now get aboard the Rangerwing, we'll take off soon."

"The Rangerwing? But my PDA is still mounted under the Rangerplane."

"Don't worry, it's all part of the surprise." Todd had no clue as to how true LaWahini's words were. "Chip, Gadget, Sparky, and I will be flying with you."

Before she climbed aboard the VTOL aircraft, though, she moved over to Foxglove who was about to enter the Rangerplane. "Foxy," she whispered, "wait until I flap my arms. That ought to be a clear enough sign for you."

"You'll flap your arms?" Foxglove repeated. "And Todd and Melissa won't notice, let alone suspect anything?"

"Just let me do it. And they won't see you fly away anyway as long as you stay in the Rangerwing's blind angle where they can't look, right behind it."

Foxglove gave her a thumbclaw up. "Roger."

"Well, then let's go!"

LaWahini went back to the Rangerwing. She checked if Todd and Melissa were watching—they were not, they had already taken their seats, and Todd had taken Melissa onto his lap—, then she gave Foxglove a wink and sat down on her own seat on the aircraft between Todd to the left and Sparky to the right. "All aboard, sis," she informed Gadget who of course piloted the craft again.

Gadget smiled. "Thanks... sis!" Then she leaned out of the Rangerwing and looked back to the Rangerplane. "Ready, Monterey?" she shouted.

"Ready, Gadget luv!" Monty shouted back. He was sitting on the Rangerplane's pilot seat next to Clarice.

"All seat belts fastened?" she addressed to her passengers.

Melissa took Todd's arms, wrapped them around her waist, and held his hands together in hers. "All seat belts fastened here."

"Okay," Gadget said with a smile as she switched on the two motors, "lean back and enjoy your flight through Las Vegas by night."

* * *


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Night Mission

Carried by soft and breezy nightly desert winds, the two Ranger aircraft flew through the partly starry sky. They approached Las Vegas from the south, a much more convenient way than the one they had left the city on in pursuit of the Nimnul Laser Cannon 14. Underneath them were suburbs which were so new that they had seen the whole 20th century as nothing but barren desert land. Some of them were remarkably luxurious and had their own artificial lakes in between the many spacey estates. On the horizon but slowly coming closer, Las Vegas' colorfully illuminated variety of trademark landmarks rose into the sky, many of which were so high that they caught the eye too easily to even spot the low but vast Versailles Palace at first glance. When the impressive skyline came into reach, Gadget slowed down.

"I've never seen Las Vegas from this perspective," Melissa said, "let alone at night. It's truly breath-taking. I should really have turned around and taken a glance when we were chasing Nimnul."

"What shall I say?" Todd replied. "I was inside that machine trying to defeat its systems. Hey Gadget, where are we going?"

Instead of Gadget, LaWahini answered. In a sense, she had taken over the choreography of the recently started mission. "First we'll fly across the city so you can see it from above, then we'll fly a full circle around it, and last but not least, we'll cruise down the entire Strip."

"You mean..."

"I mean we're going on a little nightly sightseeing flight. See it as a reward for your help."

Todd was amazed, as was Melissa. "Wow, thank you, Rescue Rangers!" he said.

Like LaWahini had announced, the two craft climbed up until they nearly reached the tops of the highest buildings around. Gadget slowly steered the Rangerwing through the skyline, high above the streets below, providing the two local mice aboard with incredible views of their hometown.

The Rangers and their guests had brought the glamorous center of the city behind them, and both aircraft had flown a left turn to start the circle around the city when LaWahini decided to take the next step on her personal list. "You know what's even more fun? C'mon, sing with me!" LaWahini stood up in the middle of the Rangerwing and began to sing Viva Las Vegas. Todd and Melissa both had heard the song often enough to be able to sing along, and so they did. While Todd was able to stay with the original lyrics as a guy, Melissa tried to apply the same adaptations LaWahini spontaneously weaved into the song. And Todd couldn't help but notice Melissa's beautiful singing voice. In his opinion, it should be her rather than him who ought to have an additional singing part in any of Clarice's shows.

Behind them, on the Rangerplane's backseat, Foxglove's sensitive ears perked up. "Are they singing?"

"Crikey," Monty wondered, "is that part o' Chipper an' LaWahini's plan?"

"I haven't got a clue, Monty. I just hope this isn't what LaWahini meant when she mentioned she'd give me a sign."

"Maybe, maybe not," Clarice said. "We've reached a perfect opportunity for you to fly. Your mouse friend might also want to save some time. You'd better get ready, Foxglove."

This wasn't said too early. In fact, when LaWahini was right before the chorus, she threw a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure the Rangerplane was aligned perfectly behind the Rangerwing and thus invisible for the two guests. Then she raised her arms and waved them up and down in sync with the song.

Monty watched in disbelief. "Did the sheila go nuts now? Why's she tryin' ta fly without wings?"

"Fly?" Foxglove suddenly stood up. "The sign! See ya later!" She gave Dale a quick kiss and jumped overboard, soaring on her spread-out wings to save some energy. LaWahini took her arms down again when she spotted the little red bat shining against the light from the resort hotels. What she did not notice was Zipper who got up from the Rangerplane's bottle cap and raced right after Foxglove, trying hard to catch up before she would disappear in the darkness. Monty was about to shout after him and ask him what he was up to, but he realized in time that everyone on the Rangerwing would be able to hear him, and that he wouldn't hear nor understand whatever Zipper would reply over that distance, so he said nothing and simply believed in Zipper's sense of duty.

Foxglove hadn't made it very far when Zipper caught up with her. "Zipper," she expressed her surprise, "what are you doing here?"

Zipper said he decided someone had better go with her in case something happened.

"Thanks, Zipper, I appreciate that," Foxglove said with a smile. "Hey, like to hitch a ride? We've got a long way to go."

Zipper nodded and sat down on Foxglove's back. He added only little extra weight to the bat who still had to flap her wings only a few times every minute as she kept on flying along the road. It was such a quiet and relaxing flight after a long and action-rich night that Zipper was about to doze off.

All of a sudden and without a warning, Foxglove quickly rolled to the left twice, and a split-second later, a large bird dashed downward past her. Zipper was fully awake and alerted immediately.

"Red-tailed hawk!" Foxglove cried out.

Zipper asked her if she was able to see what almost attacked her, although the attacker clearly came from behind and above.

"No, I heard her voice! And she's turning and coming back right now! Hold on, we're in for some aerobatics!"

She heard the hawk's voice once more. "I don't hear your sort of accent often in my neck o' the woods, little lady." 'What woods?' Foxglove thought. "Did you take a wrong turn somewhere, or did you come here to 'play wit da big desert boids?'" the hawk imitated what she thought was Foxglove's home dialect.

"What is up?" Foxglove shouted as she dove down underneath the hawk who attacked from ahead.

The bird of prey missed her target and turned again. "C'mon, I know you city slickers. You never leave your comfy cities unless you're in for what you call 'vacation.'"

"Oh great. Wanna hear some clichés about desert hillbillies for a change?" Foxglove countered and flew an Immelmann, avoiding an attack from behind.

She must be crazy to dogfight in the middle of the night, Zipper reckoned out loud as he clung to her back.

"I'm a bat, Zipper. I was born and raised to fly by night. In fact, before I met Dale, I would've been crazy to dogfight at broad daylight. Hey hussy, why's a hawk like you hunting at this time of the day anyway?"

"Do you know what it's like to wake up halfway through your beauty sleep and be too hungry to go on sleeping?" the hawk asked back. She still tried hard to keep up with the small and nimble bat who kept dodging her again and again. "Now stop prancin' about like a freakin' dragonfly, and let's bring this to an end!"

"Okay, you said it." Foxglove went into a rapid descent. The hawk turned again and followed her, closing in fast, but Foxglove didn't change her course this time.

Zipper told her how fast hawks can fly in a dive. "I know," Foxglove replied, "Monty told me." With a grin, she added quietly, "Bad for her, by the way."

Her little fly companion tried to convince himself that she knew what she did. He neither saw nor heard the ground, but he knew it was coming closer at an alarmingly high speed. His subconsciousness had him start to flap his own wings and hoist Foxglove back up into the air, but he couldn't even slow her down as she propelled herself downward instead of just falling.

Then suddenly she pulled up so sharply that Zipper was pressed hard into her back. He knew how low they were from the desert dust that was blown up into the air by Foxglove. The dive had ended, but she didn't climb again. "Guess that taught her not to mess with me," she said.

"Guess again," she heard the hawk's voice behind her. "Did you really think I'd fall for the old 'rapid dive straight into the ground' trick?"

"Maybe..." Foxglove replied briefly before she scanned her surroundings, still flying at high speed. And she found what she was searching for.

"What makes you think you're any better than me?"

Foxglove rose up a couple of feet, and after a few seconds of flight, she spun to her right. From his place on her back, Zipper could barely make out the trunk of a cactus above them and a branch below them, and even that only for a very short moment. Shortly after they had passed the cactus, they heard the cry of the hawk one last time. "OWWWWWWW!"

Foxglove grinned and answered the hawk's question. "Echolocation. Let's find out how superior you are when we're both blindfolded." Happy about her victory, she found new energy to flutter on on her way.

Meanwhile, a large owl landed skillfully on top of the cactus. He looked down to the hawk. "I've always thought those drive-in wedding chapels were ridiculous, Erica, but that express acupuncture of yours is too far out."

Erica raised her head. "Oh, just shut up, Gordon. And help me outta here."

Ahead of Foxglove, at what seemed to be the end of the road, the first lights came into sight. It wasn't an illumination as gigantic as downtown Las Vegas, in fact, there were only a few street lights and the occasional bright window, but they were where Foxglove was heading for, the town Todd and Clarice had talked about.

"Look, Zipper," she said, "we're almost there."

Zipper mentioned that the town was so small that it wouldn't take them too long to find what they were looking for.

"Right, we won't even have to split."

They were luckier than they had expected. Their very destination was located at a street corner on the main street which was the extension of the road they had been following all the time. They stopped and hovered outside one of the two large windows. On the other side of the pane, a few rodents of several species were cuddled up in their cages and sleeping. Among them were two mice whose furs shone brightly in the rays of a nearby street light.

"Do you think it's them?" Foxglove asked.

Zipper shrugged and remarked that although he might be able to get into the building, he might not be able to communicate with the mice. He could however try to help Foxglove get inside. Saying this, he pointed at an air fan installed in the wall above the window.

"But Zipper, the fan..."

The housefly just saluted and flew up to the fan. It was installed in a plastic casing which was not bolted but clipped in place, so he figured it would be easily removable. He grasped the lower edge of the casing, pushed his feet against the wall, and began to use all his strength against the clips. Foxglove was about to express her doubts about it despite what she had witnessed that fateful morning in Winifred's hideout and on many later cases, but before she could say anything, she heard the clips snap out of their sockets. Zipper had detached the fan successfully. He caught it before it could fall and carefully balanced it down until it hung on its own wires. With a wave of his hand, he motioned Foxglove to enter.

"Now I'm really glad you came after me," Foxglove said as she flew up and into the now open air duct.

She and Zipper kept as quiet as possible when they entered the room. The pale light from outside barely revealed shelves with pet accessories, pet food, and also a number of cages, in many of which animals were living. Most of them were asleep, only a group of three hamsters, nocturnal and awake, stood right behind the bars of their cage and watched the spectacle speechlessly. They knew neither how the fan had disappeared nor where the bat came from whose black silhouette was surrounded by a bright aura produced by the street light.

Foxglove took a concentrated glance around. She couldn't see much in the dark corners the street light was unable to illuminate, and she didn't dare to use her natural sonar so she wouldn't wake up those animals who could hear frequencies that high, but what she looked for was bright white and clearly visible. She stepped forward to the edge of the air duct, spread her wings, and jumped down into the room. At first, she almost headed straight for the hamster cage, and she did fly past it closely, causing the hamsters to leap for cover. Finally, she landed on the table on which the cage with the two white mice stood. Zipper watched her flight from the air duct, and he felt he would have applauded under different circumstances.

'Now comes the really tricky part,' Foxglove thought as she went to where the mice slept. 'Wake them up, Foxy, but don't scare them silly.' She put her nicest smile on her face and knocked on the cage bars. Knocking wasn't easy with bat wings, but she couldn't knock too loudly anyway. It was still a noise loud enough for both mice to wake up.

Their initial reaction was to crawl away from whatever was outside their cage. Foxglove could in fact hear their hearts race. From the far side of the cage, they stared at her.

"Hello," Foxglove greeted them with still the same smile. "Please excuse me for waking you up."

The first mouse to speak was the female. "Who... Who are you?"

"My name is Foxglove. I'm a friend. There's no reason for you to be afraid."

The mice began to notice that their visitor who gave them an almost angel-like impression with her wings and her soft voice was a bat, one that was not any taller than themselves.

"How did you come in here?" the male mouse inquired. "Has one of the windows been left open?" He wondered who would even open a window for long enough by that time of the year, let alone one which allows for a bat to pass through.

"Well, I came through the air duct up in the wall."

This was even harder to believe for him. "The air duct? But how did you make it past the fan?"

"A friend of mine removed it." Foxglove gave Zipper a sign to come down to her, and so he did.

The male mouse had to pinch himself. The bat claimed a fly had yanked the fan out of the air duct. He suppressed both the pain from the pinch and the strangeness of the whole situation which, now that he knew he wasn't dreaming, was still more than eerie enough for the two mice.

"And why did you came here?" the female mouse asked.

"First of all," Foxglove began, "I'd like to ask you a few questions. What are your names?"

* * *


	36. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: The Last Obstacles**

"How did this happen at all?" Gordon the Great Horned Owl wanted to know. "I mean, you don't fly into a cactus just for fun, right?"

"Yeah, this wasn't fun—OW!" Erica screamed as Gordon removed yet another spine from her, "—the slightest bit. What did this city bat think who she is?"

"City bat? A city bat did this to you?"

"City bat," Erica repeated. "From the East Coast. New York, I guess. OW! And yes, she did this to me. She fooled me like a bloomin' fledgling when I wanted to catch her as a night snack."

Gordon went on pulling out spines. "You do know the difference between diurnal animals like you and nocturnal animals like bats or like me, don't you?"

"I know, I know, quit playing the teacher now. But come on, she was—OW!—the size of a mouse. She shouldn't have had a chance against me, nocturnal or not. I mean—OW!—how could she have known that there was this cactus?"

"She heard it, Erica. Bats don't need to see things if they can hear their sonar echoes. And I'm actually not surprised that your mouse-sized bat chose this cactus. She fit through it, you didn't."

Coming from Las Vegas, a car drove past the two birds. Its headlights irritated them for a moment, lit up the cactus and the traces of the recent collision, and finally revealed something that flew in the opposite direction along the same road. Erica was the first to spot it.

"That's her," she cried out as she swung herself up into the air, causing a few spines to fall out by themselves. "That's that little city slicker! Now I'm gonna get her!"

Gordon took off, too. "Or she'll get you again, Erica!" he shouted after her. "She fooled you once, and now you want her to fool you once more?" Erica went into a glide as she forgot to flap her wings upon Gordon's words. "I'll show you how this is done properly!" With these words, he overtook her and homed in on Foxglove.

"Yeah, right," Erica shouted back, "go ahead, get my prey! My prey, ya hear me? I saw her first!"

Gordon didn't answer. Now that the road was empty again, he knew that any noise could be too much. If he could hear it, a bat could hear it, too. And what was dark for Erica was anything but dark for him. Attacking prey in mid-air was unusual for him, but not unmanageable. The closer he came to the little bat, the less noise he tried to produce, although he managed to rise above her.

But for Foxglove who was used to using her hearing in a city which never falls quiet, silent wasn't silent enough. 'I can hear you,' she thought. 'You're above and slightly behind me, the air streaming around your head tells me you're an owl, and you're way too big not to be heard. As if you had a chance.' "Hold on, Zipper," she whispered to the fly who rode on her back again, "it's gonna be another rough ride."

The very moment Gordon came shooting down from the nightly sky, Foxglove nearly stopped in mid-air and raced upward, causing the big owl to miss her.

Zipper congratulated her for saving herself and him so smartly, but she replied, "I didn't save us, I just bought us some time. An owl is a wholly different class than a hawk."

And she had made him angry. "Why, you..." he growled and flew up again. "You think this is fun, huh? You think you can trick me like you tricked that hawk?"

"Actually," Foxglove replied, "I've got a whole set of tricks neither of you knows yet." She was bluffing, though, and she knew it.

"Remember that I'm an owl, and I can see you and your little tricks!"

Gordon had almost caught up with her, she was fully aware of this. But she tried to convince herself she still had a few aces up her non-existent sleeves. "Yes, you can see me ahead of yourself, but I can hear you, no matter where you are."

Erica couldn't see anything, but she was at least able to hear Foxglove and Gordon talk. "Shut your yap, stupid," she commented more to herself than to Gordon, "that fluttering little thing would hear you from Reno to here."

Gordon was close enough for Foxglove to hear him breathe when she stopped her climb in a spectacular way. She pulled up sharply and sped downward again, mere inches from Gordon's head and back. She acted so quickly that he hardly noticed what just happened. When he realized she was on her way back down, he also realized he had a whole lot of catching up to do.

Far down below, Foxglove flew as fast as her wings allowed her to. There was no denying that the owl was tough, and that he was just as determined to catch her. Ahead of her was the road, around her was the desert, and she didn't know what exactly was where behind her. She just wanted to get away from it, or rather from him. Erica wasn't used to flying and preying at night, but Gordon was, and he proved to be a much better hunter.

She looked along the road and estimated which move would be best now in this game that wasn't one anymore. In the distance, a truck was heading for Las Vegas. Foxglove could make out its headlights as well as the sound of the engine and the wheels. It was too far away to be imminently dangerous or of any help for her, yet too close to be ignored. The other direction was devoid of traffic at that moment. Some more glances went into the darkness where the desert began. Despite the wind roaring in her ears, Foxglove tried to hear what Erica was doing, if she was preparing to attack, too, but there was nothing to be heard. 'Come on, Foxy,' she thought, 'think up something, and think it up quickly before—'

Something heavy hit her from behind. She felt Gordon's talons pressing on her back, pushing her downwards. That was it. She wasn't fast enough. Instead of trying to accelerate even more, she now tried to slow her descent down. A quick turn to either side was out of question, too. Gordon would not let her go anywhere. All that she could do now was keep herself from slamming into the street too hard.

A few seconds which felt like minutes later, Foxglove landed on the street. She lay flat on her belly, pinned down by Gordon who stood on her wings. The pain which his talons caused, she figured, was nothing compared to what he was about to do with her.

"Gotcha!" Gordon shouted out triumphantly. "That'll teach you not to mess with a night hunter. Not that this knowledge would be of any use for you now."

"Well, looks like you're right," Foxglove said.

"Any last wish?" Gordon asked, not showing any pity, though.

Foxglove sighed. "All I could wish for is out of reach." She felt the blacktop tremble, but she couldn't judge if it wasn't her own fear. The Rescue Rangers were miles away from her. That is, all but one.

Zipper had managed to escape from Foxglove's back moments before Gordon's attack. And now he returned, bold as always, and flew his own counter-attack against the huge owl. He buzzed past in front of Gordon's face several times in an attempt to annoy him. When this didn't prove efficient enough, he approached from behind where Gordon couldn't look, always correcting his course and staying behind Gordon's head, no matter where he turned it, and pulled his feathery horns when he finally flew over his head. "Why, you..." Gordon hissed and tried to snap at Zipper.

Foxglove watched the scene. She had little hope that Zipper could make Gordon let her go, but this bought her a few more moments of life. Underneath her, the ground shook more and more, and the air seemed to begin to glow around the towering owl as if a halo appeared around him. Suddenly, Foxglove realized what was happening. "Excuse me..." she said.

Gordon looked back at her, ignored Zipper, and asked, "What's up? Gut a last wish finally?"

"No... behind you," she warned him.

"Yeah, right. Nice trick."

"I mean it, behind you!" she insisted.

Gordon did the trademark owl movement, he turned his head backwards. For a second, however, he stared at the headlights of the rapidly approaching 18-wheeler like a deer. When parts of his common sense came back, he decided against trying to find out if he could fit under the truck and took off instead.

"Zipper," Foxglove cried out, "come here!"

Looking back, Gordon saw the truck pass where he had sat only a few seconds ago. He slowed down his flight and took a closer look. The bat was gone. She was nowhere to be seen or heard, neither on the road nor anywhere in the air. He landed next to Erica who had watched everything from aside the road.

"So, did you get her?" she asked.

"I had her first," Gordon said, "but... now the truck must've gotten her."

"Well, you saved yourself," Erica said. "Imagine you had stayed there. Then the truck would've gotten you. You're a lot larger than that little bat, who knows what the truck would've done to you?"

"But it's not fair, I almost had her."

"She was lucky," Erica explained, "that's all." After a moment of silent thinking, she continued, "Then again, I'm not sure if ending up under a truck is so much better than ending up under an owl." She watched as Gordon flew up to the top of the cactus. "What are you gonna do now?"

"I'm gonna look out for prey. Or do you think I'd like to fly to Vegas and scavenge from human junk? Not tonight, Erica. No way."

The two birds sat and watched the taillights as the truck moved on like nothing had happened. Apparently, they thought, the driver didn't notice anything on the road or simply didn't care. Unseen by them, however, a red bat and a green fly held on to the underframe of the tractor.

"That was quite a lot of luck," Foxglove said, still trying to catch her breath. "If this truck hasn't been there..."

Zipper reminded her that Rescue Ranger work often involves a good portion of luck. But even he had to admit that this was an unusually close call. The upside, he said, was that the birds would probably believe they were no more and not think about hunting them again that night.

"And we've got a ride back to Las Vegas." A bump on the road shook the truck, and Foxglove and Zipper with it. "Could be more comfortable, though," she added.

Above Las Vegas, the roles had changed. Excited to see her hometown from a bird's perspective, from aboard an aircraft made by a rodent out of human junk no less, Melissa presented resort hotels and other famous landmarks to the others on the Rangerwing like a tour guide, and Todd provided them with technical details. Behind them and unnoticed by them, a breathless Foxglove approached the Rangerplane and let herself fall into her seat. Zipper followed her and pounced upon Monty's shoulder.

"Foxy," Dale cheered, "you found us!"

"Luckily. There's not so much noise up here, and the city has quieted down a bit, so I could hear the crafts. Melissa talking out loud helped me, too." She hugged her chipmunk tightly. "Oh Dale, I'm so glad to see you!"

He snickered. "Yeah, Foxy, I'm glad, too."

"I thought I'd never see you again," Foxglove said. "None of you."

"But Foxy, you did find us up here! Why wouldn't you see us again?"

Foxglove took a deep breath, then told what had just happened. "I got attacked in the desert. Twice. First by a hawk who thought she could hunt at night, which she couldn't, and then by a big owl who I think is a friend of that hawk. I got away from the owl only by mere luck. I'm not sure if we should fly that same way again."

Monty turned around on the pilot's seat. "Don't worry, lass. If these blighters dare attack us, I'll teach 'em a lesson they'd better never ferget," he said and rolled up his sleeves.

"Was it worth it after all?" Tammy asked.

"Yes," Foxglove answered, "I found them."

"That's good news, Foxy," Monty shouted out and released the brakes on the clockwork of the slowly moving Rangerplane which sped up and passed below the Rangerwing. "Here we go!" He raised a thumb, hoping Gadget would understand that sign of his.

She did understand it. "Sorry, but the city tour has to be aborted on short notice," she announced and steered the Rangerwing after the Rangerplane. "We're going on a little road trip. That is, not on the road itself, rather above it or next to it, but we'll follow said road."

"Todd, close your eyes," LaWahini ordered the white mouse.

"Must I?"

"Yes, you must," Melissa replied and placed her hands on Todd's eyes from behind. "Apparently." She turned to LaWahini then. "Why?"

"Because now comes the real surprise for him."

The two Rescue Rangers aircraft left the city behind and flew the same route along the road that Foxglove had flown. So it was only a question of time until they would encounter the two desert birds.

Gordon was the first to notice the strange flying objects in the nightly sky. "Erica," he said, "there's something up there coming our way."

"What is it?" Erica inquired.

Gordon tried to examine these objects but failed. "Something. Two... somethings. I don't know what they are."

"Then go find out! Or have you gone chicken after that truck incident? Where's the invincible desert hunter..."

"Erica, I told you so often, and I'm slowly gettin' tired of tellin' you again and again, but shut—your—beak!" With these words, Gordon took off to intercept the most recent visitors. "What a lousy night. First that city slicker bat with her pet fly, and now?"

"What about more city slickers?" Gordon stopped in mid-air and stared into the grinning face of a chipmunk in a red Hawaiian shirt with his hands on a sort of harpoon on the bow of a strange aircraft, one of the two objects he had spotted in the air. The harpoon was loaded with a plunger, but Gordon still wasn't keen on being shot with it. To Gordon's surprise, the red bat who he believed had vanished under the truck was sitting aboard that plane, safe and sound.

Next to a chipmunk sat a burly mouse who spoke with a thick Down Under accent, "G'night mate! Dale, fire!"

"This is for scarin' my Foxy!" Dale yelled, but before he could pull the trigger, Gordon took a quick dive under the Rangerplane and out of reach for the harpoon. But he wasn't safe where he was. There was still the other flying object which turned out to be another rodent-sized aircraft.

"Golly," the blond pilot mouse said, "owl on twelve o'clock!"

The look-alike of hers reached forward and switched on the headlight. "Spot on!"

"AAAAAAAHH!" Gordon shrieked out and squeezed his eyes shut. "That's unfair! I'm blinded!" He turned and fluttered away in sheer panic.

Gadget grinned. "I knew the white LEDs I installed in the headlight would prove to be useful."

Up on the Rangerplane, Clarice watched the fleeing owl. "You're doin' it wrong, stupid!" she shouted after him. "The limelight is something to enjoy, not something to run away from!"

Gordon's escape was rudely brought to an end by the same cactus that Erica had crashed into previously. "So what did you see up there?" the hawk asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Tell me anyway."

"Okay. Two aircraft-like things full of mice and chipmunks and such. They're all city slickers and total nutcases all right. And they're armed to the teeth. Oh, and that city bat is alive and with them."

Erica tried to separate Gordon from the cactus. "Sounds like a flying buffet to me. Now go and get them!"

"They freaking blinded me, Erica!" Gordon complained. "And even if I could see again, I wouldn't be that crazy. No way!"

The rest of the Rescue Rangers' flight stayed without any disturbances, and they arrived in the small town and at the building on the corner soon. The two white mice in the cage had fallen asleep again. Now the last challenge was to get inside. The front door was locked, most windows could not be opened, and neither the Rangerplane nor the Rangerwing would fit through the air vent. But as they flew around the building to find a way in, they soon discovered a solution—an office window with a sliding lower half on the rear side. The two aircraft landed on its window-sill.

"But how can we open it from outside without damaging it?" Tammy wondered. Without hesitating, Zipper saluted and took off to the roof.

Foxglove flew after him. "Zipper, what are you gonna do?"

The fly explained he was going to open the window from inside.

"But haven't you seen? The office door was closed."

Zipper just laughed, and when he reached the front side of the building, he disappeared in the air vent.

"Oh well," Foxglove said, "I might as well wake up the mice and announce our arrival."

She entered the room and landed next to the cage again. "Uh... hi," she said. "Hello."

The mice opened their eyes. For the second time that night, they beheld a red bat that they thought shouldn't be there. "Hello," the female mouse answered, "again."

"So you did come back," the male mouse said.

Foxglove smiled. "Oh, not only I came back. I've got a surprise for you."

In the back of the building, meanwhile, Zipper flew straight to the office door. He landed on the knob and turned it around, but the door was locked. Fortunately for him, there were no cylinder locks in the doors inside the building, so it was rather easy for him as both a fly and an experienced Rescue Ranger to climb into the lock and disengage it. He turned the knob again, and this time, the door opened. Outside, on the other side of the window, the Rescue Rangers and Clarice applauded. Todd clapped his hands, too, although he didn't know why since Melissa still held his eyes shut.

Next, Zipper flew to the window and undid its lock. But the window wasn't as easy to move as the door, it was jammed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push it upward.

"Need 'elp, pally?" Monty asked, and Zipper nodded. "Chipper, Dale, Sparky, c'mon 'ere, I need yer 'ands!"

The two chipmunks, one mouse, and one rat jumped off their respective aircraft. First, all four pushed the window up, and with their combined strength, they managed to unjam it. Then, however, more height was needed. Chip climbed onto Sparky's shoulders and Dale onto Monty's, and so they shoved it farther up. But to move it up high enough for the Rangerplane to fit through, they had to prove their artistic skills. Monty carried Sparky who still balanced Chip on his shoulders, and Dale on top finally pushed the sliding window to its necessary height. Another wave of applause followed which Zipper took part in this time.

The noises from the two Ranger aircraft were Foxglove's cue. "Do you hear this?" she asked the mice.

"Do we hear what?" the male asked back.

"The surprise is on its way."

"What surprise?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

As if a fly and a bat breaking into the building hadn't been weird enough, the two mice witnessed two rodent-sized flying contraptions entering their room. Foxglove waved and showed Monty and Gadget where to land, then she introduced her friends to the mice. "Meet the Rescue Rangers from New York City!"

While the Rangerplane stayed in the background, the Rangerwing touched down right next to the cage, its headlight turned off. At first, Melissa herself couldn't believe where she was, but then she removed her hands from Todd's eyes.

"And there's someone else I'd like you to meet," Foxglove spoke.

Todd stood up and looked at the two white mice.

The two white mice held onto the cage bars and looked at Todd.

Todd got off the Rangerwing and walked to the cage. For him it was as unreal as for the other two white mice. "Ohmigosh," was all he could say.

"Todd?" the mice in the cage halfway whispered.

Todd stopped. A big lump formed in his throat. "Mom? Dad?"

* * *


	37. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Home**

Todd stepped closer to the cage and, as if to convince himself it was all real, touched the hands of the female white mouse. She identified him as her son, now that he was close enough, and took his hands in hers. "Todd," she said, "you came back?"

"Apparently," he replied and looked around to make sure he really was where he thought he was.

"But why? And how? I see these strange... flying... things and these..."

"Rescue Rangers." Clarice left the crowd of mostly rodents outside the cage and came to meet the parents of her keyboardist. "A famous team of crime-fighters, and good friends of mine. They came all the way from New York City to Las Vegas to solve a criminal case, to return fourteen stolen gemstones. Your son made it possible to retrieve the gems from a high-security vault, and later this night, he saved the Hoover Dam from being destroyed and helped the police arrest the man behind all this. We brought him back here as a reward, we thought he'd like to see his parents again after all these years."

Todd's father gasped and failed to say more than, "Our son..."

"Your son is a hero," Melissa said as she joined Todd and Clarice, "and you can be proud of him." Todd laid an arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "He's a wonderful, wonderful guy. A guy with so many qualities and so many talents. And I love him dearly."

Quiet sobbing and sniffling sounded through the shop. The Rangers and their friends looked at each other first until Foxglove identified the hamsters in the cage on the opposite side as the source. "Don't mind us," one of them said when they noticed they had been discovered, "we're just the audience."

Todd's mother smiled at her son and the girl by his side. "Todd, you've got a girlfriend?"

"Since tonight, yes," Todd answered.

Melissa smiled back. "And I'm pleased to meet you, his parents, Mrs..."

"Linda," the female white mouse replied. "And it's Miss Linda."

"There's little of a possibility to get married in here," Todd's father explained. He offered his hand and introduced himself, "Hugo."

"Melissa, Melissa Mayfield." The half-Japanese mouse shook Hugo's hand. "You don't have last names?" Her question was justified, but she didn't want to tell the reasons yet.

Sparky told her, "It's common for lab animals not to have last names. I haven't got one either."

"You mean you forgot it," LaWahini supposed with a wink.

"No, I really haven't got one. Buzz told me a couple of times. I guess I must have told him before."

"I see," LaWahini said and smiled. 'He can have mine if need be.' "Hey Gadget," she addressed to her sister, "what about letting Todd's parents out of their cage?"

"Consider it done, LaWahini!" Gadget went straight to the cage door and inserted her tail into the keyhole of the lock. "You're born with certain tools," she commented. "Golly, this is one simple lock. They clearly didn't expect us to come."

A few seconds later, the lock snapped open, and Gadget removed it from the cage. She opened the door and motioned Hugo and Linda to come out of the cage, accompanied by applause from the hamsters. Linda was the first to leave the cage. She took the chance and her son into her arms. Hugo followed her and gave Todd a manly hug.

"I need to get used to that shirt you're wearing," Hugo said. Having spent all their life inside the pet shop, he and his wife had never worn any clothes, so it was unusual to see their son in that blue shirt.

"You should see him in a tuxedo," Melissa recommended. "He was born to wear a tuxedo."

"Todd," Linda said, "it's a downright miracle to have you here with us tonight. I wish you could stay here, but... I'm sure you've got a life somewhere else now that you'd like to return to."

"Well, I can't stay here, that's true," Todd said.

"You don't have to stay here either," Chip told her and Hugo. "You're free now, and we can take you anywhere as easily as we came in here."

"But where shall we go?" Hugo asked.

"Why, Las Vegas, of course!" LaWahini answered. "I've totally fallen in love with this city tonight, and I promise you'll like it, too."

"Have you seen my show, The Chipmunk Divine?" Clarice asked. "No, you haven't. Come see my show as soon as you can! Your son plays in my orchestra, one more reason for you to see it."

"That sounds fantastic, but we've never been away from here," Hugo expressed his doubts. "It'll be a pretty big step, and a step towards something we don't know."

"That's life, Dad," Todd said, "that's what they call life. I had to get used to having a life of my own out there, too, after meeting a human who had none to speak of." He began to walk up and down while he spoke. "You'll often have your great and little challenges out there, but beating them is part of what makes life interesting. And you'll get a lot of rewards. There's so much out there for you to discover." He stopped and turned to his parents. "I mean, if you insist, we can leave you here, Gadget will lock up the cage door, I'll fly back to Las Vegas with the Rangers, and everything will return to its usual way. Yes, you are still here after all these years. And yes, I was pretty lucky with the guy who bought me. But that doesn't mean that you'll stay here forever, or that someone will come and buy the two of you to keep you as their pets. The next time that front door over there opens, and it's not the shop owner, it might be someone who's new in town and looking for a living mouse to feed their anaconda on, and that might mean either of you."

Melissa slipped between Hugo and Linda and laid her arms around them. "Whereas out there, no-one will ever consider you reptile food again. Nor will you be the only mice around or locked away in a cage. There'll be lots of mice and lots of other rodents who'll be there for you if you need help. Whatever problems may occur for you out in the free, we'll gladly help you in whichever way necessary, Mr. and Mrs... oh, right, no last names. We'll take care of this, too, of course."

"Not without a proper wedding," Clarice remarked. "You say you couldn't get married in here? Heh, there's no better place in the States for a wedding than Las Vegas. You think today is the best day in your life because your son is back? You think today is the best day in your life because you're finally free? Wait 'til you're at your own wedding!"

Linda blushed slightly under her white facial fur, a blush which remained invisible in the darkness of the shop. "Wow, all this goes so fast..."

"Don't worry," Clarice replied, "I won't send you to one of those drive-in wedding chapels. No, for the parents of my synthesizer player—and the kinda parents-in-law of my solo violinist—the best is just good enough, and I'll be glad to arrange for you a wedding with all you can imagine and then some."

Hugo looked from his son and those who had come with him to the cage and on to the big shop window and the world outside. He had spent so many decades in this pet shop together with Linda. He was used to this place. It had given him a feeling of home, a feeling of safety. Humans were there to feed him and Linda, to give them fresh water, and to take care of them and their cage. Yes, he had gotten used to this feeling of safety. The only white mouse who left the shop in many years was Todd, and Hugo had known already back then that the guy who had bought him didn't have anything cruel in mind.

But things used to be different. There used to be a much larger population of white mice in the shop, and in those times, the mice had more or less arranged themselves with meeting their doom in a laboratory or even inside a reptile one day. They couldn't do much against it, and mere luck was the reason why it was him and Linda who remained in the end. Now he began to understand. The mice of his sort would have been easy prey for a snake or a lizard because they wouldn't have known what to do, because nobody could have taught them. Wild mice, a bunch of whom had miraculously just broken into the pet shop together with a number of other animals, would know how to fight or escape, simply because they know the world on the other side of that giant window-pane. Even Todd must have learned a lot in his life in freedom. But he and Linda had only ever seen the pet shop, nothing more, nothing less. What they knew about the world outside, they had heard from people who came to the shop and happened to have a talk with the shop owner or any of the few clerks. Las Vegas had changed a lot in those past decades, it had grown into an awesome place, at least, that was what he had heard, but nevertheless, he didn't know what it really was like.

It wasn't only about fighting for life against reptiles a few dozen times the own weight, he realized. It was more. It was about living a real life, experiencing the world with one's own eyes instead of by the tales from someone else. Last but not least, it was about going where one wanted to go and doing what one wanted to do. He didn't know what he wanted yet, but that was because he didn't really know what was there to desire in the first place. Todd had made it. He had left the pet shop only eight years ago, and he would otherwise have ended up like his father. He had spent some time with a human, and these eight years later, he came back as a musician, probably a famous and celebrated one, as the love interest of a beautiful mousette who most certainly did not grow up in a pet shop, and first and foremost, as a hero. Becoming a hero was a giant step, and compared with it, being flown out of the old pet shop by a group of small animals who surely knew what they did and starting a life of one's own was only a tiny step, but one that would pay back greatly. He wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't take this once-in-a-lifetime chance and accept this challenge.

He looked at the now empty cage again. He didn't want to be held back by that bit of plastic and steel anymore. It had never been particularly comfortable or beautiful to start with. What would a human know about what a mouse likes or not if mice weren't to speak to humans? And why didn't he ever see a mouse who'd look into the pet shop and wish to live in such a cage?

"Miss," he spoke to Gadget, "lock up that cage. I'm not going back in there again in this life." He then turned to the rest of the group. "Do you have a seat or two for us?"

"Sure," Chip said, "that can be arranged. It'll be a bit crowded, but we'll find some space for the two of you."

"You've got all your belongings?" Gadget wanted to make sure.

Hugo took Linda's hand, and Linda smiled at him in excitement. "Yep," he replied.

"So we're leaving tonight?" Linda asked.

"We're leaving for our new life right now," Hugo said, "but before, there's something I think that needs to be done."

Linda got even more curious. "What's that, Hugo?"

"Well, I don't want to travel with the mother of my son. I want to travel with my future wife. Most of it will be arranged for us, but this I have to do myself." He knelt down in front of Linda. "Will you marry me?"

Only a few minutes later, Rangerplane and Rangerwing hovered outside the pet shop with Hugo and Linda on board. They waited for Zipper to leave the building, he had to close the office window again which was easier than unjamming and opening it. After he came flying out of the air duct, he put the electric fan back into place, much to the amazement of Todd's parents who had never seen a housefly that strong before. He flew back to the Rangerwing and asked if Todd and his family had decided on a name yet, and Gadget translated for them.

"I like Melissa's suggestion," Todd said, "'White.'"

Melissa smiled. "Your parents have got the same beautiful white fur as you, Todd, so I thought it'd be appropriate."

"I like it, too," Hugo said.

Linda sighed. "It's a nice name, sure, but honestly, what choice do I have? I'll have whatever last name my husband has." Everyone else aboard the Rangerwing laughed heartily.

When the two Ranger aircraft flew out of the small town, they left the pet shop behind as if they had never been there. The only difference was that two white mice were missing, Hugo White and his fiancée Linda, liberated by their son Todd White and his friends.

The evening of the same day saw the Rangers back in their hometown, New York City. The first thing they did after unloading at the Headquarters was see the Metropolitan Squirrel Squad, Chief Derek Chesnutt in particular, and report the successful completion of the case.

"Yes," Chief Chesnutt said, "all fourteen gemstones were returned to New York City on an overnight flight and handed over to Mr. Clutchcoin a few hours ago. I shouldn't have doubted your capabilities and had any second thoughts about your sudden disappearance yesterday, now that I know you had to track them down in Las Vegas. Well done, Rescue Rangers! And Tammy..."

The red-haired squirrelmaid looked up to her father. "Yes, Dad?"

"Well done to you, too. I'm proud to be the father of a Rescue Ranger."

"Aw, thank you, Daddy!" Tammy said and gave her father a hug.

"You're welcome, Tammy." For the first time that they knew him, Chip, Dale, Monty, Zipper, and Gadget saw Chief Derek Chesnutt with a smile on his face that truly came from the heart.

"Speakin' of 'welcome,'" Monty said, "Chip, d'ya know what 'appened to those rat brothers?"

"They might still be in Las Vegas," Chip speculated, "unless they caught a flight back."

At the same time, but a few hours earlier in the day, four rats wandered through Las Vegas. Two of them looked almost the same, they only wore different clothes, and they were engaged in a heated discussion.

"Great," Allan said, "I don't even wanna think about how many flights back to New York we've missed so far."

"Yeah, right," Francis said, "go on complaining, Mr. 'I ruined the coup of the century!'"

"What? Excuse me, but who was it who suddenly came running into the vault as if there wasn't any security at all?"

"It had to be shut down if you were already in there!"

"At least I had ways to shut it down. You would hardly even found a way in, Mr. Super Spy, if I hadn't been!"

"And it was your folks who turned the system on again while I was still in there! It's all your fault!"

"It's not my fault, it's your fault!"

"So it's my fault by default if it's not your fault, right? It's not my fault either!"

"Then tell me, Mr. 'Angel in a Trench Coat,' whose fault it is! Again, mine it is not!"

Moe threw in, "Is it perhaps... Fat Cat's fault?"

Allan exchanged glances with his brother. "Y'know," he said, "sometimes your henchmen aren't as dumb as they look. Fat Cat, yeah, he wanted to steal the gems for himself! He ruined everything in the end with his greed!"

Francis rubbed his hands. "And he's so gonna pay back for this! For this and more!"

"So how shall we find him then?" Allan asked. "You think he's still in town?"

"C'mon, Las Vegas is a casino-running kingpin's dream come true! You'd have to drag him out of town by his tail!"

"But Las Vegas is big. It'll need some detective work to find him."

"Detective work?"

"Detective work. Like that Chip Maplewood said. Capone & Capone."

"Only if I'm the first Capone in the name."

"Excuse me?" The four rats were stopped by a female mouse. "I noticed you were talking about detective work, and... well, I'm looking for some private investigators."

"Private investigators?" Francis repeated.

"My husband's gone missing. I haven't seen him once in four days, and we're traveling back to Chicago next week. Can you find him?"

Allan and Francis looked at the mouse, at each other, back at the mouse.

"Please?" she begged.

"Okay," Allan agreed, "a bit of training might come in handy."

"Wait a minute," Francis said, "I haven't agreed yet."

"And do you agree?"

"This might surprise you, but yes, I do, because it gives us a chance to snoop around and try to find Fat Cat's trail. So, lady, we'll look out for your hubby."

The mouse's face brightened up with a smile. "Oh, thank you, gentlemen! Come, I'll tell you all details you need to know." She went ahead, and the rats followed. "See, the last time I saw him was at the hotel. He said he'd go down to the bar and have another drink, and since then, I didn't see him anymore. There are rumors that he's been spotted in other places, bars or casinos. Here's a photograph of him..."

**The End**


End file.
